
Class J2l2s-&ClO 



Book &X 



PRESENTED BY 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



Introductory Course on the 
Bible 

FOR TEACHER TRAINING CLASSES 
AND BIBLE CLASSES. 



By 

REV. E. G. KRAMPE 
it 

Under supervision of the Board of Education 

of the Synod of the Northwest of the Reformed Church 

in the United States. 



CENTRAL PUBLISHING HOUSE, 
CLEVELAND, OHIO. 












COPYRIGHT 1922. 



PREFACE. 

No other work in the church is greater than the religious instruc- 
tion of the children. Since our modern system of education has ban- 
ished the Bible from our public schools, the education of children in 
the Word of God is entrusted chiefly to the Sunday schools. Only 
a limited number of children have any religious training other than 
that offered by the church school. The realization of this, fact has 
awakened the church to the urgent need of trained teachers, resulting 
in the formation of Teacher-Training classes. A number of courses 
have been prepared for such classes, the most recent being "The New 
Standard Teacher Training Course," a normal course dealing with 
the "How" of teaching, rather than merely the contents of it. 

In this "Bible Manual" an introductory course on the Bible is 
offered, which it is hoped will be welcomed by those who desire a more 
complete course on the Bible than the former First Standard course, 
for whom however the New Standard course seems too difficult. This 
Manual may also be used to advantage in catechetical classes and Adult 
Bible classes. 

The author of this "Manual" gives it, neither as a work wholly 
original, nor as a compilation from the writings of others. While he 
availed himself of the ideas of others as far as he thought them 
adapted to his purpose, yet on every subject contained in the book 
he has thought for himself and done more or less original work. 

Grateful acknowledgment is hereby expressed to Prof. H. A. 
Meier, D. D., Prof. E. A. Hofer, D. D., Rev. D. W. Vriesen, D. D. 
and Rev. H. T. Vriesen, for loaning the author various books and 
offering valuable suggestions ; particularly to Prof. F. Grether, D. D., 
who placed the results of his study of the Biblical figures of speech 
at our disposal and with conscientious care reviewed the manuscript. 

May our blessed Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, let His blessing 
rest upon this volume as it goes forth to acquaint our young people 
with the spiritual wealth, the wondrous sweetness, the beauty and 
power of the Scriptures. 

E. G. Krampe. 
3 



INTRODUCTION. 

A Christian without a Bible is but a poor wretch; but the mere 
possession of a Bible as a volume or an ornament for the library 
table is by no means sufficient. Such possession of the Bible is no 
guaranty of salvation, nor will it, in some magical way, give protection 
against "the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the destruction 
that wasteth at noonday." A Christian, having the Bible and not 
knowing its contents, is like the heir of a great estate living in poverty 
because the testament of his father is still under seal. The cabinet 
containing the precious document avails him nothing, though he have 
it daily before his eyes; he must know the contents of the will. Just 
so a Christian must know the contents of his Bible if it is to prove 
a blessing to him. 

No text-book on the Bible can take the place of the Bible itself. 
The purpose of this manual therefore is not to displace the sacred 
volume, but to awaken the mind of the reader and to assist him to 
become the possessor of the spiritual wealth of that volume. The 
author's aim was not merely to tell the reader many interesting facts 
about the Bible, but to help him to know much of it, that he might 
grasp the wonderful message conveyed by the words of this sacred 
book — the message of God's love to sinners and their salvation in 
Christ Jesus. 

This manual is based upon our most sacred faith, accepting the 
Bible, as it offers itself. The author has not followed the caviling 
methods adopted by some "critics" and self-styled "scholarly inter- 
preters" of modern times, who first rend the Bible. into a multitude of 
fragments and then piece these fragments together in checkered fashion 
according to their own design, thus bewildering the minds and under- 
mining the faith. He is "not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" and 
believes that the Bible, as we have it, is the Word of God. 

Since the study of the Bible is necessarily excluded from the 

5 



6 BIBLE MANUAL. 

course of study in our public schools, the State relies upon the 
church to take care of the instruction in religion. Hence the church 
has a sacred duty to perform in the training of men, not only as 
children of the kingdom of heaven, but also as Christian and loyal 
citizens of the United States. The number of those living amongst 
us without God and without hope is deplorably large. Therefore the 
church must be the "salt of the earth" and '"the light of the world," 
and this she can be only if she instils the principles of Christianity 
into the growing generation. 

But how can Christian training be given without the Bible? Or 
of what value is a rambling and superficial study of the Bible? Alas, 
the number of Sunday School teachers to whom the Bible is a sealed 
book, is only too great ! But how can one teach others, if he himself 
knows nothing? It is hoped that this manual will prove helpful in the 
formation of classes in Sunday Schools and Young People's Societies 
for a systematic study of the Bible. The author has endeavored to 
avoid all technicalities, which only tend to create a wrong conception 
of the Bible, and which deaden the interest and cause intellectual 
indigestion. 

The Bible is like a well arranged garden, full of lovely flowers 

and savory fruits ; it is like a mine, in which most precious treasures 

are hidden. If perchance this manual will aid any reader of the Bible 

in gathering these flowers and fruits and in discovering these treasures, 

the purpose of the author, Rev. E. G. Krampe, will have been fully 

accomplished. 

F. Grether. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Hebrew Manuscript .- . . . 190 

Greek Manuscript ~. 192 

Latin Bible 194 

Gothic Manuscript 197 

Luther's German Bible 199 

Ancient English Bible 201 

The Altar 214 

The Tabernacle 216 

The Temple 218 

Ancient Coins 223 

MAPS. 

PAGE 

Journeyings of the Children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan .... 101 

The Dominion of David and Solomon 109 

Kingdoms of Israel and Judah 113 

Palestine in the time of Christ 130 

First Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul 145 

Second Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul 147 

Third Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul 149 

Paul's Journey to Rome 151 

Map of the Ancient World 206 

Map of the Old Testament World 208 

Palestine in the time of Christ 210 

Map of the New Testament World 212 

7 

i 



'Search ye the Scriptures/ 



INTRODUCTORY LESSON. 

(This lesson should be read and discussed at the first 
meeting of the class. It should then be carefully studied at 
home.) 

A WORD TO THE TEACHERS AND THE CLASS. 

That well-known anti-infidel lecturer, Dr. Hastings, says 
in one of his lectures : "The trouble with most people is that 
they know too much about the Bible and not enough of it." 
This is a true saying — true, also, of many teachers in our Sun- 
day Schools ; alas, but too true. 

Helps for the study of the Bible are necessary; nor is 
there any lack of them. But no helps can take the place of 
personal study. A teacher will never succeed in training his 
pupils to stand fast upon the sure foundation of the Faith in 
Jesus Christ unless he himself studies diligently in the Scrip- 
tures. Of course, the teacher must pursue other studies besides 
the study of the Bible (and the more faithfully he uses his 
Bible the more clearly he will realize this), but his need of 
Bible study will never cease. 

But not only the teacher, but also the pupil must read the 
Bible diligently and intelligently. Hence, it is an essential 
part of Christian, and especially of religious, training to 
instruct the pupil properly and intelligently to read his 
Bible. No period of instruction in the Sunday school can be 
said to have fully achieved its aim if it have not aided to some 
extent in the accomplishment of this purpose. We may con- 
sider the Bible from whatever viewpoint we will — as "Revela- 
tion," as "Moral Law," as "The Bread of Life," as "The Light 
of the World" or as "The Sword of the Spirit" — in every 



10 BIBLE MANUAL. 

instance it remains an indisputable fact that the full blessing 
will come to those only who themselves use this Word of God, 
and so become possessors of its spiritual wealth. 

Teaching is not Training; Christian education cannot be 
accomplished by the mere teaching of the Christian doctrines. 
The doctrine, br truth, that a young man shall cleanse his way 
by taking heed thereto according to the Word of God must 
indeed first be taught; but his teaching must be accompanied 
by the demonstration how the young man must use this Word 
as a lamp unto his feet and as the sword of the Spirit. The 
most interesting and thorough description of this sword of the 
Spirit will avail him nothing unless he takes hold of it himself 
and is trained how to use it. 

The Bible, however, is not only the weapon of the Spirit 
for valiant men. It is also the "Bread of Life," the "Sincere 
Milk" by which our children and young people must be nour- 
ished if they are to grow "unto the measure of the stature of the 
fulness of Christ." Not only for men, but also for young peo- 
ple and children, the Bible is the law of conduct, the Gospel, 
the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

Hence, our young people must be trained betimes in the 
use of the Scriptures, and it is the teacher's duty, as well as 
privilege, to give them this training. If this truth were taken 
to heart, many of our S. S. teachers would see better results of 
their labors. In the measure in which the pupil becomes 
acquainted with his Bible (not the lesson leaves) it will become 
more precious to him, and he will learn to love it, and the deter- 
mining influence of this book will be established ; for it is what 
a man knows and loves, that exercises the greatest and most 
lasting influence upon him. 



NoteI. Before taking up the study of the following lessons, the 
students should read supplementary Lessons 1 to 5. (Part VI.) 

Note 2. The leader of the class should assign some Supplemen- 
tary Lessons as collateral reading along with the regular lessons. 



PART ONE. 
SUMMARY OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. 

A. Contents of the Books of the Old Testament. 

Lesson 1. 

THE PENTATEUCH. 

1. Though the Bible is a collection of Scriptures, writ- 
ten by various authors and at different times, yet together 
these Scriptures form a unit in which one fundamental 
thought is clearly evidenced. The Bible has a certain, specific 
purpose in view, each of its books serving in its own manner 
to achieve this purpose. This of course does not exclude 
that each book of the Bible has its own special purpose. Just 
as in a large building each apartment is designed for its own 
purpose and yet all apartments together serve the purpose of 
the whole building, so each book of the Bible has its own 
purpose and still serves the purpose of the whole Bible. 

2. The purpose or object of the Bible is expressed in 
the one word Revelation. This is clearly seen in its very 
first verse : "In the beginning God created heaven and earth." 
These words indicate that the Bible purposes to reveal what 
God has done, the activity of God, and before the first chap- 
ter comes to a close it becomes evident that man is the object of 
this activity ; and by the time we have read to the close of the 
third chapter the purpose of the Bible has been clearly 
stated. This purpose is: To reveal unto us what God has 
done for the salvation of mankind. To do this, the Bible of 

11 



12 BIBLE MANUAL. 

course must also mention many other things, especially con- 
cerning the actions and conduct of man. 

To read the Bible with understanding, we must keep this 
purpose, this object in view; because every book of the Bible 
serves this purpose, each in its own way. 

3. A short summary of the contents of each book will 
prove a great help for understanding its message. Such sum- 
maries are given in the following lessons, 1-17. The student 
must never forget that these suggestions are given merely as 
an aid to his own study of the Bible. They are not to be used 
instead of the Bible but only in connection with the Bible, oth- 
erwise they will not bring a blessing. 

4. The Pentateuch. This name is given to the first five 
books of the Bible, which are also called "The Five Books of 
Moses. " In the Hebrew manuscripts these books were writ- 
ten on one scroll, which the Jews called: "Thora" (the law) 
or "The Law of Moses." The name "Pentateuch" is derived 
from the Greek and means "The five-volumed book." 

5. The Author of the Pentateuch is Moses. In this, the 
ancient historians, Jewish, Gentile and Christian, agree. Some 
modern critical scholars have sought to disprove this; but 
their endeavors have only served to establish the fact, that 
Moses is the author and at God's command "wrote all the 
words of Jehovah." (The closing words, reporting the death of 
Moses, were probably added by another author.) 

6. The names given to the five books of the Pentateuch 
in our English Bible are derived from the Greek version 
(LXX.) These names allude to the contents of the various 
books. In the Hebrew Bible these books are named accord- 
ing to the words with which they begin, "Bereshith," "Elleh 
Shemoth," etc. 

7. The contents of the Pentateuch can be briefly summar- 
ized thus : A record of God's deeds for the salvation of man- 



THE PENTATEUCH. 13 

kind, from the origin of the human race until the death of 
Moses. We learn here, how God, after man, by willful disobe- 
dience caused his own misery, prepared the way for man's 
deliverance by choosing unto himself a "chosen people," and 
how He prepared this people by the giving of the law of reli- 
gious services etc., and how in the development of this people, 
the way was prepared for the salvation of mankind. 

QUESTIONS. 

In what relation do the books of the Bible stand to the whole 
Bible, in respect to their aim and object? 

What is the main object of the Bible? 

Why is it necessary to keep this object in mind when reading the 
Bible? 

Of what value is a summary of the contents of the books of the 
Bible? 

How must they be used in order to prove a blessing? 

Explain the origin and meaning of the words "Pentateuch," "Law." 

Why are we justified in saying that Moses is the author of the 
Pentateuch ? 

Whence did the names of the five books of the Pentateuch 
originate? 

State in a few words the summary of the contents of the 
Pentateuch. 

Note 1. If desired, this and the following lesson may be studied 
as one. 

Note 2. If there are students in the class who are not ac- 
quainted with the names of the books of the Bible, the leader should 
assign Supplementary Lessons 1 and 2 for special study. 



14 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 2. 
The Pentateuch — (Continued). 

GENESIS. (Abbr. ■== Gen.) 

1. Name: The name "Genesis" refers to the contents of the 

book and means "origin" or "beginning." 

2. Author: The author is Moses, the greatest prophet 

of the Old Testament. 

3. Contents: The contents may be divided into two main 

parts : 

a. History of the human race from creation to the dis- 
persion of Noah's descendants. 

b. History of Israel, from Abraham to the death of 
Joseph. 

As the "Book of origin," it reports : 

a. The creation of the world and origin of the hu- 
man race. 

b. The origin of sin and corruption. 

c. God's first covenant with man. 

d. The first promise of grace. 

e. The beginning of the history of Israel. 

4. Important Passages: 1:1; 1-27; 3-6; 3-14 and 15; 

4:6 and 7; 6:8 and 18; 7:21-24; 8:21 and 22; 10:32; 
11:8; 12:1-3; 15:6; 22:16-18; 28:12-15; 32:28; 49:10. 

5. Principal Persons, (chief characters) : Adam and Eve, 

Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. 



THE PENTATEUCH. 15 

6. Central Thought : God "hath chosen us in Christ be- 
fore the foundation of the world," therefore this di- 
vine will immediately becomes operative in the history 
of mankind after the Fall, and is carried out, step by 
step, in a continuous succession of generations. 

EXODUS. (Abbr.=Exod.) 

1. Name: The name signifies "departure." 

2. Contents : History of the development of the descendants 

of Jacob. 

a. Remarkable numerical increase of the Israelites. 

b. Israel's oppression under Pharaoh. 

c. History of Moses. 

d. The plagues of Egypt. 

e. Institution of the Passover. 
/. The Exodus 

g. Giving of the law at Mt. Sinai. 

3. Important Passages: 1:7, 13, 14; 2:10; 3:7-10; 12:13, 

14; 14:14; 19:5, 6; 20:1-17. 

4. Principal Persons: Pharaoh, Moses, Aaron. 

5. Central Thought : The deliverer and leader of the people 

is the Lord God, Jehovah. After giving Israel an 
independent position alongside of other nations by the 
deliverance out of bondage. God then, by the giving 
of his Law, sanctified Israel to be Jehovah's chosen 
people before all other nations — God's gracious act of 
deliverance and salvation. 

LEVITICUS. (Abbr.=Lev.) 

1. Name: The name signifies "Order of the Priests" and 
refers to the main part of the contents. 



16 BIBLE MANUAL. 

2. Contents : The greater part of the book consists of laws 

and ordinances (especially concerning sacrifices). 

a. Laws concerning the sacrifices in general. 

b. Consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. 

c. Transgression and punishment of Nadab and Abihu. 

d. Laws and ordinances pertaining to personal, civic and 
national life. 

e. Story of a blasphemer and his punishment. 
/. Laws pertaining to civil life. 

3. Important Passages: 10:3; 12:45; 19:2, 3, 18; 23:3. 

4. Central Thought : God being holy, can dwell only among 

an holy people ; man's communion with God therefore 
depends upon his atonement and purification. 

NUMBERS. (Abbr.=Num. or Numb.) 

1. Name: The name refers to the two numberings of the 

people which are mentioned in this book. 

2. Contents: The contents of the book are historical and 

describe the journeyings of Israel in the wilderness. 

a. Preparations for the journey to Canaan. 

b. Journey from Sinai to the border of Canaan; spies; 
disobedience and punishment of the people. 

c. Special events of the journeyings: Rebellion of 

Korah; Aaron's flourishing rod; Water from the 
Rock; Aaron's death; Fiery serpents. 

d. Story of Balaam. 

e. Joshua consecrated to be Moses' successor. 
/. Victory over the Midianites. 



THE PENTATEUCH. 17 

3. Important Passages : 6 :23-26 ; 9 :15-17 ; 12 :6-8 ; 23 :19 ; 

24:17. 

4. Central Thought: God educates, judges and purges his 

people, keeping his faith in spite of all infidelity of 
the people. God's pardoning grace assures the people 
of his help. 

DEUTERONOMY. (Abbr.=Deut.) 

1. Name: The name signifies "The second law" and was 

applied to the books, because it again impresses the 
law upon the minds of the people. 

2. Contents: The book is almost entirely composed of ad- 

dresses of Moses to the people. 

a. First address: A retrospect. (Ch. 1-4.) 

b. Selection of the cities of refuge. 

c. Second address: The Ten Commandments are the 

basis of God's covenant with his people and the con- 
dition of salvation. 

d. Third address: Blessings and cursings; renewal of 
the covenant. 

e. The song of Moses, his blessing, his death and burial. 

3. Important Passages: 6:4, 5; 7:6-8; 18:15; chapters 28, 

32 and 33. 

4. Central Thought: Love to God and our neighbor is not 

only the sum of the law, but also the fulfillment of the 
law. In doing the will of God there is eternal life, 
but love alone produces true obedience. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Study carefully the summary of the books of the Pentateuch, 
especially the central thought of each book. 

Look up the passages indicated and compare them with these cen- 
tral thoughts. 



18 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Compare the summaries given in this lesson with the general 
summary of the Pentateuch in the previous lesson and with the pur- 
pose and aim of the whole Bible. 

Now state, whether in your opinion, the aforementioned purpose 
of the Bible is proven by these summaries of the books thus far 
studied. 

In your reading, note carefully the incompleteness of the his- 
tories of individuals though they give minute details in certain matters. 
Can you discover a reason for this in the purpose of the Bible? 

Can you discover a special reason for the genealogies found in 
these books? 



HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 19 



Lesson 3. 

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD 
TESTAMENT. 

1. The contents of the next twelve books, after the Pen- 
tateuch, are almost entirely of an historical nature. They re- 
cord the history of Israel, covering a period of about 1,000 
years. The order in which the books occur in the Hebrew 
Bible differs from the order observed in the English Bible. 
In the Hebrew Bible, six of these historical books were clas- 
sified with the prophetical books under the title of "Former 
Prophets/' not only because they record the deeds of the 
prophets, but also because Jewish tradition regards the proph- 
ets as the authors of these books. 

2. The historical books, however, do not only contain 
the fascinating history of an ancient people: they display be- 
fore our mental vision most vividly, the great purpose of God's 
providence. Throughout the whole account of bloody war- 
fare, apostasy, oppression and miraculous deliverance of the 
people, there is woven as a golden thread, the allusion to the 
glorious power, wisdom and mercy of Jehovah. And as we 
study these Scriptures more carefully we see more clearly that 
it was the object of the authors to emphasize just this govern- 
ing power of God; we also realize that these men were inspired 
of God. 

JOSHUA. (Abbr.=Josh.) 

1. Name: The name does not refer to the author, but to the 
hero of the book. 



20 BIBLE MANUAL. 

2. Author : The author of the book is not known. The an- 

cient Jewish and Christian commentators held the 
view that Joshua himself was the author. 

3. Contents: A description of the conquest of Canaan by 

the Israelites and the renewal of the covenant. 

a. God's command to conquer the land. 

b. Crossing the River Jordan. 

c. Capture of Jericho and Achan's sin. 

d. Other conquests. 

e. Division of the land by lot. 

f. Gathering of the people; renewal of the covenant. 

4. Important Passages: 1:5-9; 3:5, 10, 17; 4:20-24; 5:13- 

15; 7:13; 8:30-35; 10:12-14; 21 :45; 24:15, 18. 

5. Central Thought: God is faithful, and ever true to his 

promises. 

JUDGES. (Abbr.=Judg.) 

1. Name: The name is derived from the contents of the 

book which gives the history of the judges, rulers and 
leaders of the people. 

2. Author: The author is unknown. Jewish tradition 

ascribes the book to Samuel. 

3. Contents: The book gives a description of the condition 

of Israel during a period of 250-450 years after the 
time of Joshua. 

a. The conditions in Israel during the time of the judges. 

b. The deeds of the judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, 
Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Abimelech, Thola, Jair, 
Jephtah, Ebzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson. 

c. Idolatry of the Danites. 

d. War against the tribe of Benjamin. 



HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 21 

4. Important Passages: Ch. 2; 5:31; 6:16; 7:2; 8:23; 9: 

8ff;Ch. 11; 21:25. 

5. Central Thought: Apostasy invariably brings punish- 

ment from God ; nevertheless when the people repent, 
God sends them a saviour. On the one hand the 
book testifies of the disobedience of the people, on the 
other hand it reveals God's wonderful patience and 
mercy. 

RUTH. 

1. Name: The book bears the name of the heroine of the 

story, an ancestress of David and Christ. 

2. Author: The author, as also the time in which the book 

was written, is not known ; Jewish tradition mentions 
Samuel as the author. 

3. Contents. A most beautiful story from the times of the 

judges. Ruth, the Moabitess, prompted by love and 
fidelity to Naomi, her mother-in-law, leaves her home 
and country, and with the whole ardor of her love 
joins herself to the people of Israel, and with a be- 
lieving heart accepts Israel's God as her God. Her 
faith is rewarded in that she, the descendant of a 
Gentile nation, in the providence of God becomes an 
ancestress of the Saviour. 

4. Important Passages: 1 :16 and 17. 

5. Central Thought: The condition of citizenship in the 

kingdom of God is not "nationality," but believing de- 
votion and surrender to God. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Why are the 12 books following the Pentateuch, called historical 
books? 

What peculiarity is evident in the manner in which the authors 
relate the historical events in these books? 



22 BIBLE MANUAL. 

What" purpose of the authors is evidenced by this peculiarity? 

What does this teach us in respect to the Inspiration of the Bible? 

Study carefully the outlines of this lesson, especially the "cen- 
tral thoughts." 

Do not fail to look up the passages indicated. 

Note especially how the last verses of the book of Ruth refer to 
King David. Can you find any special significance in this? 



HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 23 



Lesson 4. 

HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
(Continued.) 

THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL. (Abbr.= I. and II. Sam.) 

The two books of Samuel were originally regarded as 
one in the Hebrew Bible. The division into two books was 
adopted from the Greek LXX. version. 

1. Name: The name does not indicate the author, but the 

chief character of the first part — Samuel — the great 
Reformer and Prophet, by whom God established the 
kingdom in Israel. 

2. Author: The author is unknown. No doubt Samuel 

gathered much of the historical material of these 
books (compare I. Chron. 29:29) which, with other 
matter, was used by some later compiler. 

3. Contents : 

Book I. 

a. Samuel's childhood and God's call. 

b. The wickedness of the sons of Eli. 

c. God's punishment of Eli, his sons and Israel. 

d. Samuel's work as Judge. 

e. Saul anointed to be the first King of Israel. 
• /. Saul's disobedience ; David's anointing. 

g. History of Saul and David until the death of Saul. 



24 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Book II. 

a. David, King over the tribe of Judah. 

b. David, King over Israel. 

e. David's sin, repentance and punishment. 

4. Important passages: I. Sam. 2:6, 7; 3:10, 18; 7:12; 

8:7; 16:6; 15:22, 23; 16:7; 17:45. 

II. Sam. 7:12-16; 12:13; 23:1-7. 

5. Principal characters: Hannah, Samuel, Eli, Saul, 

David, Jonathan, Absalom, Joab, Nathan, Gad. 

6. Central thought: God himself, Jehovah, is the King 

of Israel ; only that king whom the Lord chooseth and 
who remains loyal to the Lord, will be blessed by Him. 

THE BOOKS OF KINGS. (Abbr.=Ki.) 

These books are also regarded as one in the Hebrew 
Bible. 

1. Name: The name describes the contents — the history of 

the kings of Israel from David until the captivity of 
Israel. 

2. Contents : 

Book I. 

a. History of King Solomon, with special reference to 

the building of the Temple, the wisdom and glory of 
Solomon. 

b. Solomon's sin and death. 

c. Division of the Kingdom during the reign of Reho- 

boam. 



HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 25 

d. History of the divided kingdom. 

1. The kingdom of Judah under Rehoboam, Abia, 
Asah, Jehoshaphat. 

2. The kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam, Nadab 
— to Ahab, Ahaziah. 

3. The Prophet Elijah. 

Book II. 

a. Elisha the prophet, successor to Elijah. 

b. History of Israel, its decline and ruin. 

c. History of Judah until the Babylonian captivity. 

3. Important passages: I. Ki. 3:11-14; 8:27-29; 18:21; 

19:llff. II. Ki. 6:16; 14:9. 

4. Principal characters: 

a. The principal kings of Judah: Solomon, Rehoboam, 

Jehoshaphat, Ahaziah, Queen Athaliah, Joas, Ahaz 
Hezekiah, Manassah, Josiah, Zedekiah. 

b. Kings of Israel: Jeroboam, Ahab, Jehu. 

c. The prophets, Elijah and Elisha should be noted 

especially. 

5. Central thought: "Righteousness exalteth a nation; 

but sin is a reproach to any people." 

THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES. (Abbr.=Chron.) 

These books also form one book in the Hebrew Bible. 
According to Jewish tradition, Ezra was the author; yet this 
cannot be determined. 

1. Name: The name signifies "Historical Records." 



26 BIBLE MANUAL. 

2. Contents: A history of the kingdom of Israel. Much 

of that which is recorded in the books of Samuel and 
the books of Kings, is repeated; much, however is 
omitted and some matters are related more minutely. 
Only the history of the kingdom of Judah is recorded 
in these books and that from a Levitical point of view. 

a. Genealogies from Adam to David. 

b. History of David, especially mentioning his acts per- 

taining to the matter of public worship. 

c. History of Solomon, especially the building of the 

temple. 

d. History of Judah until the exile. • 

e. Proclamation of Cyrus, King of Persia. 

3. Important passages: I. Chron. 17:11-14; 29:10-20; 

II. Chron. 1 to 9 (Temple) ; 14:10; 20:20; 36:20-23 : 

4. Central thought: The rule of God in Israel, sym- 

bolized by the temple and its service, is the salvation 
of the people. Apostasy brings ruin. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

1. Compare carefully the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, 
and 

a. Note the fact that they all speak of the kingdom of Israel. 
Can you find in this a fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham? 

b. Note the difference in these three groups of books. Describe 
this difference. 

2. Name the three chief characters in the I. Book of Samuel. 

3. Who, in your opinion, are the chief characters in the II. Book 
of Samuel? Give a reason for your opinion. 

4. Can you find, in the history of Samuel, Saul and David, a 
proof that the "Central Thought" has been correctly stated? 



HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 27 

5. Mention two of the most important incidents recorded in the 
books of the Kings. 

6. Name the most important Kings of the two kingdoms, Israel 
and Judah ; the two most important prophets. 

7. Is there any significance in the genealogies in the I. Book of 
Chron. in respect to the first promise to Adam? 

8. Note where you must look for the records about Samuel, Saul, 
David, Solomon, the building of the temple, the division of the king- 
dom, the downfall of Israel and the exile of Judah. 



28 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 5. 

HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 

(Continued.) 

THE BOOK OF EZRA. (Abbr.=Ezr.) 

1. The Name of this book is derived from its author, who at 

the same time is the chief character mentioned in the 
book. 

2. Contents: Return of the Jews after the Babylonian cap- 

tivity. 

a. First return under Zerubbabel and Joshua. 

b. Rebuilding of the temple. 

c. Second return under Ezra. 

d. The work of reformation and restoration under Ezra. 

3. Important passages: 1:1-11; 3:10-13; 6:9-22; 9:1-15; 

10:2-5. 

4. Central thought: The Lord surely keeps his promises; 

but salvation comes to God's people only when they 
keep the law. 

NEHEMIAH. (Abbr.=Neh.) 

In the ancient Hebrew Mss. this book and the book of 
Ezra are regarded as one. 

1. The Name indicates the author and chief character of the 

book. 

2. Contents : The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. 

3. Important passages: 1:4-11; 2:17, 18; 4:14; 4:17-20; 

6:11-14; chap. 8. 



HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 29 

4. Central thought: The "Hand of God" is good upon his 
people, even upon his erring people; by the goodness 
of God the people are to be led to repentance. 

ESTHER. (Abbr.=Esth.) 

The book describes, in a measure, the condition of the 
Jews who did not return to Jerusalem but remained in Persia, 
and thus it forms a counterpart to the books of Ezra and 
Nehemiah. 

1. Name: The book derives its name from the heroine of 

the story, Queen Esther. 

2. The Author of the book is unknown. 

3. Contents: The history of the origin of the Purim feast, 

which the Jews observed in commemoration of the 
deliverance recorded in this book. 

a. Esther, a Jewish maiden, becomes Queen. 

b. Haman, the King's favorite, resolves the destruction 

of all Jews. 

c. Downfall of Haman; the danger removed. 

d. Institution of the Purim feast. 

4. Important passages: 9:26ff. (The name of God oc- 

curs nowhere in this book.) 

5. Central Thought: He that keepeth Israel, neither slum- 

bereth nor sleepeth ; yea even the princes of the Gen- 
tiles must serve Him in the interest of His people. 

QUESTIONS. 

What portion of the history of Israel do we find in the books of 
Esra, Nehemiah and Esther? 

How do the books of Esra and Nehemiah prove that God fulfills 
His promises? 



30 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Mention three important occurrences recorded in the book of 
Esra. 

What was the great task of Nehemiah? 
What is the object of the book of Esther? 

REVIEW. 
Test Questions on the Historical Books. 

Name the historical books of the Old Testament. 
Why are these books called "Historicar'? 
What purpose of God is revealed in these books? 
What portion of Sacred History is recorded in the pentateuch? 
What book marks the close of the second period? 
Make your own outline of the Old Testament history according to 
the following headings: 

I. From Adam to Abraham. 

II. From Abraham to Joshua. 

III. From Joshua to Saul. 

IV. From Saul to the Captivity. 



POETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 31 



Lesson 6. 

THE POETICAL BOOKS OF THE 
OLD TESTAMENT. 

The books of this group are also based upon that which 
God has revealed by word and deed; yet they do not merely 
record these words and deeds, but also deduct certain princi- 
ples and doctrines from them. These books teach us how the 
men of God understood and interpreted the marvelous acts 
of God. The study of these books is especially important 
for the understanding of the thought and sentiment of the 
Hebrew people. The books are called "Poetical" on account 
of the form in which they are written in the Hebrew language. 

JOB. 

1. Name: The book derives its name from the hero of the 

narrative. It is a didactic poem which no doubt is 
based upon actual occurrences. 

2. The Author of the book is unknown. 

3. Contents: In the form of a dialogue, the book discusses 

the question : why the righteous must suffer. 

a. Introduction : Job's character, piety and tribulations ; 

his wife and friends. 

b. Discussion between Job and his friends : The friends 

argue that Job's affliction is a punishment for his 
sin ; Job protests his innocence and maintains his 
righteousness. 

c. The question decided : Jehovah himself appears and 

speaks to Job ; Job repents. 



32 BIBLE MANUAL. 

d. Close: The Lord grants Job greater "prosperity than 
he had before. 

4. Important passages: 1:21; 2:10; 5:17-19; 10:25; 

27:6; 28:12; 28:28; 34:11-12; 38:8-11. 

5. Central Thought: According to the righteousness and 

wisdom of God, tribulations must serve to test and 
establish our faith in all patience. 

THE PSALMS. (Abbr.=Ps. or Psa.) 

1. Name: The psalms are religious hymns and were sung 

to an accompaniment of musical instruments. The 
term Psalter denotes a collection of such hymns. The 
Psalter contains 150 hymns composed by devout men 
of God of the Old Testament. Only 100 psalms men- 
tion the author; David is mentioned 73 times, Asaph 
12 times, the Sons of Korah 11 times, Solomon 2 
times, Heman once, Ethan once, Moses once. 

The Psalter consists of five books which close with 
the following psalms: 41, 72, 89, 106, 150. (Mark 
the closing verses of these psalms.) The five books 
of psalms form the counterpiece of the five books of 
Moses. In the pentateuch we have the Law stating 
God's demands upon the congregation; in the five 
books of psalms we have the answer of the congrega- 
tion to these demands in its confession. 

In the Hebrew, some psalms are alphabetical, viz. 
Ps. 119, eight stanzas with A, B, etc. 

2. Contents: The psalms speak of God and the revelations 

of His goodness, justice, mercy, glory and power; 
they speak of His wondrous deeds and precious 
words; we find here the most wonderful hymns of 
praise, the most touching prayers of repentance, the 



POETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 33 

most fervent hymns of faith and hope. There is 
hardly a condition of human life for which there is 
not a fitting expression in the psalms. Especially for 
tempted, suffering and burdened souls, the psalter has 
always proved an inexhaustible source of comfort. 

Important passages: The following psalms should be 
noted especially: 

a. Penitential psalms : 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143. 

b. Psalms of adoration: 8, 19, 29, 65, 104, 118, 148. 

c. Hymns of faith : 23, 27, 42, 46, 62, 73, 90, 91, 103, 121. 

d. The glory of the Word of God: 119. 

e. Messianic psalms: 2, 8, 16, 22, 40, 45, 68, 72, 89, 110. 

PROVERBS. (Abbr.=Prov.) 

Name: The book derives its name from Chap. I: 1, and 
indicates both the contents and also the author. 

Contents: Truth and doctrine for the religious and 
moral life ; a summary of ethical maxims, precepts 
and admonitions. 

Though the proverbs are not arranged according to a 
definite order or plan, being merely loosely connected 
with one another, "like as a string of pearls," yet the 
contents of the whole book may be grouped as 
follows : 

a. True wisdom, its importance, how it is to be sought 

and acquired. 

b. How the actions of the wise and of the foolish are 

revealed in all stations of life. 

c. Blessings of wisdom and curse of folly. 

d. Value of wisdom for the individual, for kings and 

nations. 

e. Praise of a virtuous woman. 



34 BIBLE MANUAL. 

3. Important passages: 1:7, 1:10, 3:5, 6; 3:11, 12; 6:6ff; 

8:22; 10:22; 13:7; 13:24; 22:15; 14:34; 18:12; 
16:26, 31; 23:26 ;25:21, 22; Chap. 31. 

4. Central Thought: True wisdom is based upon the fear 

of the Lord, upon piety. 

ECCLESIASTES. (Abbr.=Eccl. or Eccles.) 

1. Name: The name is derived from the title given to the 

king in the LXX version. The English authorized 
version translates it correctly in the sub-title "The 
Preacher." 

2. Author: Solomon is generally accepted as the author. 

Some scholars hold the view that some unknown 
author wrote the book in the time of the later 
prophets, because in many features it resembles the 
later books of the Old Testament ; but the arguments 
in favor of this view are far from being convincing. 

3. The Contents may be divided as follows: 

a. Introduction: The vanity of vanities. 

b. Solomon's efforts to gain satisfaction, and how his 

efforts failed. 

c. Further study and the result : 

1. Man's dependence upon God. 

2. The righteous are in God's hand; judgment of 

both good and evil will surely come. 

3. Piety, from youth until old age, is the wise 

man's path to happiness. 

d. Closing remarks. 

4. Important passages: 1:2, 3; 3:1, 12, 13; 7:15; 9:2, 3; 

11:9; 12:1; 12:13ff. 

5. Central Thought: All temporal things are "vanity" and 

cannot satisfy man. Because the wise man recognizes 
this fact and knows that there is a time for every- 



POETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 35 

thing, he is resigned to the will of God ; and, consider- 
ing the ultimate reward, he makes piety the chief aim 
of his life. 

THE SONG OF SOLOMON. (Abbr.= S. of Sol.) 

1. The Name: "Song of Songs" is the title in the Hebrew. 

The title in our English Bible indicates the author, 
Solomon, the king. 

2. Contents: The book is a didactic poem, dramatic and 

allegorical, in which Jehovah's love to his people 
Israel, and Christ's love to his church, is compared 
to the pure and genuine affection of a bride. 

3. Important passages: 2:10-13; 8:6, 7. 

4. Central Thought: The happiness of pure and faithful 

conjugal love is one of the most noble gifts of the 
Creator ; its frequent abuse can never annul its sacred- 
ness. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Why are the books of this group called poetical books? 
In what manner do they differ from the historical books? 
Why is the study of these books important? 
What topic is discussed in the book of Job? 
What ts the meaning of the word "psalm"? 
Who is the author of most of the psalms? 

Can you give a reason why the Psalter is one of the best loved 
books of the Bible? 

Of what does the book of Proverbs treat? 

What is the central thought of the book of Ecclesiastes ? 

Why is the Song of Solomon called an allegory? 

Note — Many of the German Bibles contain the apocryphal books, 
and simple-minded readers are often misled by the superscription: 
"The Wisdom of Solomon" and by the apparent similarity of the book 
"The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach" to the book of Proverbs. 
These apocryphal books have justly been excluded from the canon, 
and it is to be regretted that some Bible Societies still publish them 
with the Word of God, 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 7. 



THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD 
TESTAMENT. 

1. The word "Prophet" means "speaker." The prophets 

were men whom God called and prepared especially, 
that they should proclaim His Word to the people. 
They were ministers and messengers of God, by whom 
God revealed his will and his purpose. The word 
of God which they proclaimed was partly a word of 
rebuke, partly a word of promise. On the one hand, 
it was their duty to impress God's law upon the 
people and rightly to interpret this law for their 
times; on the other hand, they must point to the 
future, proclaiming the ultimate punishment of the 
sinner and the salvation of the penitent. For this 
reason, they were also called "seers" and their revela- 
tions "visions" The most important duty of the 
prophets was to proclaim the salvation in Christ and 
the coming of the Messiah. Thus we find that the 
message of some prophets consists chiefly of exhorta- 
tion and menaces ; in others, the message is mainly 
prophetic, comforting and encouraging - 

2. To understand the prophetic Scriptures, it is absolutely 

necessary to heed carefully the condition, time and 
circumstances of their origin, for a great portion of 
these Scriptures refer specifically to the people of 
Israel and its particular history. Yet we must guard 
against the error, which is frequently made, to apply 
these Scriptures only to the time of history in which 
they were written. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 37 

3. The order in which the prophetical books are arranged in 
our Bible is not the order in which the prophets ap- 
peared before the people. As far as we can deter- 
mine, the prophets probably delivered their messages 
in the following order: Joel, Jona, Amos, Hosea, 
Isaiah and Micah prophesied before the overthrow 
of Samaria; Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jere- 
miah, Obadiah, Ezekiel and Daniel prophesied before 
and during the Babylonian captivity; Haggai, Zech- 
ariah and Malachi prophesied after the return of the 
Jews from captivity. 

ISAIAH. (Abbr.=Isa.) 

1. Isaiah (Esaias) was the son of Amoz, and lived at Jerusa- 

lem during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and 
Hezekiah. Very few details of his life are known. 
His death (possibly martydom) probably occurred 
during the reign of Manasseh. (The name "Isaiah" 
means "the salvation of Jehovah.") 

2. Contents. Jewish as well as Christian scholars consider 

the book of Isaiah the most beautiful piece of Hebrew 
literature, both on account of its contents and on 
account of its language. Many modern scholars as- 
sume that the last chapters of the book were not 
written by Isaiah, but by some unknown author. The 
ancients, however unanimously assign the whole 
book to Isaiah. 
The book consists of two parts : 
Part I : The book of judgment. 

a. Prophecies against the recreant and rebellious 

people; the destruction of Assyria foretold. 

b. Prophecies against various foreign nations, es- 

pecially against Babylonia and Egypt. 



38 BIBLE MANUAL. 

c. Prophecy of God's judgment against all nations, 

but also of a salvation for all nations. 

d. Historical notes from the time of Hezekiah. 

Part II : The book of comfort; restoration of Israel. 

a. Prophecies concerning the deliverance of God's 

people from captivity. 

b. Prophecies concerning the coming of the Mes- 

siah, his sufferings and glory. 

c. Prophecies of the last judgment, the new heav- 

en and new earth. 

3. Important passages: 2:2-4; 4:2-6; 7:14; 9:6; 28:16; 

42:1-8; 49:1-6; 50:4-6; 61:lff; 65:17ff; Chap. 53, 
treating of the sufferings of the Messiah is espe- 
cially important. 

4. Central Thought: Salvation for all penitent sinners 

comes only from the "Anointed of the Lord," who, 
as the "Lamb of God" bears the sins of the world. 

JEREMIAH. (Abbr.=Jer.) 

1. Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, the priest in Anathoth, a 

town in the land of Benjamin. In the 13th year of 
the reign of Josiah, he was called to his prophetic 
work by the Lord, and he labored in Jerusalem until 
the city was destroyed by the king of Babylon. His 
life was one of continual suffering and persecution, 
because he warned the people of the impending dis- 
aster and foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. He 
lived to see this destruction. Afterwards he was 
forced by the Jews to go with them to Egypt. The 
Bible does not mention his death. 

2. Contents: The prophecy of Jeremiah is mainly a mes- 

sage of impending judgment and an earnest call to 
repentance. Yet he was also permitted to foretell the 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 39 

return of the Jews out of captivity. The book may 
be divided as follows: 

a. Calling of Jeremiah, the prophet. 

b. Nine reprimands and exhortations to repentance. 

c. Prophecy of salvation and the return from Babylon. 

d. Historical notes. 

e. Prophecy against foreign nations. 

/. History of the destruction of Jerusalem. 

Important passages: 3:12, 6:14; 7:3, 4; 9:23, 24; 
14:7, 11, 12; 15:16; 17:9, 10; 23:5, 6; 23:23-29; 
25:11, 12; 30:9; 31:2, 3; 31:31-34; 33:15, 16. 

Central Thought: Disaster is irresistibly coming upon 
Israel, because Israel has forsaken the Lord; yet the 
Lord is faithful and true; He will bring his people 
back again and make with them a new covenant, a 
covenant of grace, and thus reveal himself as "The 
Lord, our righteousness." 

LAMENTATIONS. (Abbr.=Lam.) 

This book consists of five alphabetic poems or songs, in 
which the prophet bewails the destruction of Jeru- 
salem, the misfortunes of his people and his own 
misery ; yet he turns his eyes to God and seeks com- 
fort and aid from Him alone. 

Important passages: 3:22, 31, 39; 4:22; 5:19-22. 

EZEKIEL. (Abbr.=Ezek.) 

Ezekiel (the strength of God) was the son of Buzi the 
priest. He was one of those exiles who were car- 
ried away captive to Babylon with King Jehoiachin. 
He labored among the captives as "messenger of God 
to a stiff-necked people." The scene of his labor was 
the vicinity of the river Chebar. 



40 BIBLE MANUAL. 

2. Contents: In a series of visions, allegories and symbolic 

actions, the prophet, as "watchman," announces the 
coming judgment of God and the destruction of 
Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he also has a vision of 
Israel's restoration and the coming of salvation under 
the rule of the Messiah. Not without reason did the 
Jews regard this book as one of the most difficult 
books in the Hebrew canon. No person under 30 
years of age was permitted to study it. 
The contents of the book may be divided as follows : 

a. Ezekiel's vision of the glory of God. 

b. Prophecies concerning God's wrath against Israel. 

c. Prophecies against seven foreign nations. 

d. Prophecies concerning the mercy of God. 

e. Ezekiel's vision of the stream of living water flowing 

from the new sanctuary. 

3. Important passages: 3:17, 9:4; 11:19, 14:14; 17-22; 

18:19; 18:23; 33 :11 ; 34:11 ; 34:23; 37:24; 36:26,27; 
47:lff. 

4. Central Thought: By the judgment of Israel, by the res- 

toration of God's people, and by the judgment of 
their enemies, all the world may see that God is the 
Lord before whom all must bow down. 
. DANIEL. (Abbr.=Dan.) 
1. Daniel (God is my judge), a noble and devout young man, 
when still a boy, was carried away captive in the third 
year of Jehoiakim, and educated and trained at the 
court of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Being 
expeptionally talented and blessed of God, he attained 
a most influential position at the king's court. He 
lived and labored during the whole of the Baby- 
lonian exile, to the third year of King Cyrus, and no 
doubt was instrumental in promoting the Jews' return 
from captivity. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 41 

2. Contents: The book is written partly in Hebrew, partly 

in Aramaic ; and it consists mostly of visions and their 
interpretations. Many of the prophecies in the New 
Testament, especially in the book of Revelations, are 
based upon the prophetical words of Daniel. The con- 
tents may be analyzed as follows : 

a. Historical items from the life of Daniel and his 

friends ; Nebuchadnezzar's dream ; wonderful pres- 
ervation of Daniels' three friends. 

b. Second dream of Nebuchadnezzar, its interpretation 

and fulfillment. 

c. Belshazzar's impious feast ; Mene, Mene ! 

d. Daniel in the lions' den. 

e. Daniel's vision of the four kingdoms. 
/. Daniel's prayer and confession. 

g. Other visions and prophecies concerning the end of the 
times. 

3. Important passages: 1:8, 9; 2:22; 2:44, 45; 3:16-18; 

4:14; 4:34; 5:25-28; 6:26, 27; 7:13, 14; 9:24-27; 
12:lff. 

4. Central Thought: The kingdom of God triumphs over 

all the kingdoms of the world. 

QUESTIONS. 

Define the word "Prophet." 

What other name was given to the prophets? 

How are these titles explained by the work which the prophets 
were called to perform? 

Why is a knowledge of the historical occurrences and circum- 
stances necessary for the understanding of the prophetic Scriptures? 

What chapter contains the most important prophecies concerning 
the sufferings of the Messiah? 

What special prophecies do we find in the book of Jeremiah? 

Where and during what period did Ezekiel prophecy? 

Name two of the visions of Ezekiel. . 

What prophecies are found in the book of Daniel? 



42 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 8. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTA- 
MENT— Continued. 

HOSEA. (Abbr.=Hos.) 

Ho sea, the son of Beeri, prophesied in the northern king- 
dom at the time when this kingdom, under the rule 
of Jeroboam II. was fast approaching and preparing 
its own ruin by its infidelity to God. In the most 
vivid manner, the prophet portrays the corruption of 
the people and announces the impending disaster. 
Hosea's office was primarily that of chastisement and 
censure. 

Contents: The book consists of two parts: 

Part I. Israel's infidelity. Israel is cast off because it has 

broken the covenant; if, however, it will repent, it 

will again be accepted. 
Part II. a. God's accusations against the people. 

b. Rigorous announcement of the coming judg- 
ment. 

c. Exhortation to repentance and conversion, 

these being the indispensable conditions of 
salvation. 

Important passages : 2 :19-23 ; 3 :5 ; 4 :1, 2, 6 ; 6 :1, 2 ; 6 :6 ; 

10:12; 11:8,9; 12:7; 13:14; 14:10. 

Central Thought : Israel, by breaking the covenant with 
God, prepares its own ruin; God, however, in his 
great mercy, enters into a new covenant with the pen- 
itent ; that is, renews his covenant relation with them. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 43 
JOEL. (Abbr.=Jo.) 

1. Joel (Jehovah is God) is probably the most ancient of the 

prophets. He was the son of Pethuel, and prophesied 
in Jerusalem. His prophecy was prompted by a 
devastating plague of locusts, and is an earnest ex- 
hortation to repentance. 

2. Contents : The contents may be divided into three parts : 

a. The plague of locusts, typifies the coming of the day of 

the Lord, and should urge the people to repentance. 

b. Promise of blessings for the present, and the outpour- 

ing of the Spirit for the future. 

c. The coming day of the Lord and the overthrow of the 

heathen nations. 

3. Important passages: 2:1, 2:12ff ; 3:lff. 

4. Central Thought: The "day of the Lord" is a day of 

judgment, but also a day of salvation. 

AMOS. (Abbr.=Am.) 

1. Amos, a herdsman of Tekoa (in Judah), was sent by God 

to Bethel, the center of idolatry, to proclaim the 
judgment of God unto King Jeroboam II. and his 
people. Amaziah, the priest, sought to frighten him 
away; but Amos withstood him, relying upon God's 
call. 

2. Contents : The book may be divided into three parts : 

a. Short discourses announcing God's judgment upon 

neighboring nations. 

b. Discourses against Israel and its leaders, especially 

against their luxury and their oppression of the 
poor. 



44 BIBLE MANUAL. 

c. Five visions concerning the judgments coming upon 
Israel, with the promise that "the tabernacle of Da- 
vid that is fallen" shall again be restored. 

3. Important passages : 3:6-8; 4:12; 5:4, 12, 15; 5:21ff; 

8:11, 12; 9:11, 12. 

4. Central Thought: God cannot overlook sin; he must 

punish it. His judgment, however, is not extermi- 
nation, but purging ; a remnant remains and is saved. 

OBADIAH. (Abbr.=Obad. or Ob.) 

1. Obadiah. Nothing is known of this prophet except the 

one discourse which we have in this book, which is 
a prophecy against Edom on account of the violence 
of the Edomites against Jacob. The time in which 
Obadiah lived cannot be accurately determined. The 
incidents mentioned in verses 11-14 may refer to the 
capture of Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoram, or 
to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. 

2. Contents of the discourse : 

a. Judgment against Edom predicted. 

b. The causes of this judgment. 

c. Promise of restoration and blessing for Israel. 

3. Important passages: Vs. 11, 15, 18 and 21. 

4. Central Thought : The day of the Lord is near upon all 

the heathen. (V. 15.) 

JONAH. (Abbr.=Jon.) 

1. This book contains no prophetic utterance or discourse of 
the prophet, but relates some incidents of Jonah's life. 
Herein lies the importance of the book; Jonah him- 
self is the "sign," the prophetic type of Christ. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 45 

2. Contents : The story of Jonah. 

a. His mission, disobedience and punishment. 

b. His deliverance. 

c. Second call ; Nineveh's repentance. 

d. Jonah's indignation and God's answer. 

3. Important passages: 1:6; 2:2-10 (Jonah's prayer); 

3:9, 10; 4:2; 4:9-11. 

4. Central Thought: God's mercy extends also unto the 

heathen nations. (Compare also Mat. 12:40.) 

MICAH. (Abbr.=Mic.) 

1. Micah was a native of Moresheth, a small town of southern 

Judah. He was a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, 
and prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz 
and Hezekiah. His prophecies begin with the an- 
nouncement of God's judgment and close with the 
promise of salvation. 

2. Contents : The book may be divided into three parts : 

a. Judgment will come upon Samaria and Judah, but the 

"breaker" will bring salvation. 

b. The leaders of the people will be punished and Jerusa- 

lem will be destroyed ; but God will deliver his peo- 
ple, and the new kingdom, whose king shall come 
from Bethlehem, shall be the center of salvation for 
all nations. 

c. Israel's ingratitude ; repentance and atonement ; prom- 

ise of future salvation. 

3. Important passages : 1 :2 ; 2 :12, 13 ; 4 :2, 3 ; 4 :7, 8 ; 5 :lff ; 

6:3; 6:6-8; 7:7; 7:18-20. 



46 BIBLE MANUAL. 

4. Central Thought: Salvation comes from the Lord by 
remission of sins. 

Note: Micah is one of the most important prophets on 
account of his clear Messanic prophecies, 5:lff; 6:6-8, and 
7:18-20. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Compare the contents of the six prophetical books of this lesson 
and note: 

What was the two-fold duty of the prophets? 

How did they reveal the righteousness of God? 

How did they show that God's judgment also reveals God's mercy ? 

How do the writings of the prophets explain the incidents which 
we found in the historical books? 

What prophetical book has the promise of the outpouring of 
the Holy Ghost? 

Which are the most important messianic prophecies we have so far 
learned? Where are they recorded? 

What prophetic book contains no prophetic utterance? Give the 
reason for this. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 47 



Lesson 9. 

PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTA- 
MENT— Concluded. 

NAHUM. (Abbr.=Nah.) 

1. We know nothing of this prophet, except that he lived at 

Elkosh. He most probably lived at the time when 
Manasseh reigned over Judah. His prophecy is di- 
rected against Assyria, especially against the city of 
Nineveh. 

2. Contents : Nahum predicts the utter destruction of Nine- 

veh on account of its cruelty to the subjected nations. 
His prophecy is important for the reason that he re- 
veals the true cause of this destruction. It is God, 
the "avenger," who determines and brings about the 
destruction of this great city. 

3. Important passages: 1:2, 3; 1:6, 7; 2:1. 

4. Central Thought: God judges also the heathen nations 

according to his righteousness. 

HABAKKUK. <Abbr.=Hab.) 

1. Habakkuk prophesied in that depressing time, when Chal- 
dea and Egypt were striving against each other for 
world dominion. Between these two powerful na- 
tions lay the little kingdom of Judah, helpless be- 
cause, by forsaking the Lord, it had lost its only 
source of protection. To the anxious prophet's in- 
quiry, the Lord grants a revelation of what will come 
to pass. 



48 BIBLE MANUAL. - 

2. Contents: Chapters 1 and 2 contain a dialogue between 

the prophet and God; Chap 3 is the prophet's psalm 
of prayer and triumph. 

a. The prophet's complaint and petition for revelation 

and comfort. 

b. God's answer : Judah shall be chastized by the Chal- 

deans, but Babylon shall also be humbled and 
brought to ruin. 

c. The prophet's psalm. 

3. Important passages : 1:2,3, 12, 13; 2:3; 2:4; 2:14; 2:20; 

Ch. 3, especially Vs. 2, 18 and 19. 

Central Thought: "The Lord is my strength" and "the 
just shall live by his faith." 

ZEPHANIAH. (Abbr.=Zeph.) 

1. Zephaniah was a direct descendant of King Hezekiah, 

and prophesied during the reign of the good King 
Josiah. No doubt his prophecy aided in awakening 
the zeal of this devout king for the great reformation 
which he carried out during his reign. 

2. Contents: The book may be divided as follows: 

a. The prophet announces a day of wrath, to come upon 

Judah and Jerusalem. 

b. Exhortation to repentance. 

c. Judgment coming upon the neighboring nations. 

d. Description of the misery in Jerusalem. 

e. Glorious promise of salvation. 

3. Important passages: 1:14; 2:3; 2:11; 3:9; 3:12; 3:15; 

3:16; 3:20. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 49 

4. Central thought: The day of wrath comes upon Judah 
and the nations of the earth, on account of their 
apostasy. But the penitent and humble will be sanc- 
tified and receive honor. 

HAGGAI. (Abbr.=Hag.) 

1. Haggai prophesied after the return of the Jews from 

Babylon, as did also the prophets Zechariah and Mal- 
achi. He came forward in the second year of King 
Darius and urged the people to take up again the 
work of rebuilding the temple and to finish it. 

2. Contents : 

a. Exhortation, rebuking the negligence of the people in 

the work of rebuilding the temple ; the result of the 
exhortation. 

b. Prophecy concerning the glory of the temple and the 

Messianic era. 

c. Special words of cheer to Zerubbabel. 

3. Important passages: 1:9; 2:6-9; 2:19 and 20; 2:22-24. 

4. Central thought : Be strong all ye people of the land, 

and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. 

ZECHARIAH. (Abbr.=Zech.) 

1. Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, was a contemporary of 

Haggai and was associated with him in promoting 
the rebuilding of the temple. His prophecies, like 
those of Ezekiel and Daniel, contain many visions and 
symbolical actions. 

2. Contents : The book may be divided into four parts : 
Part L 

a. Exhortation to repentance. 

b. Eight different visions. 

c. Symbolical crowning of the high priest Joshua. 



50 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Part II. 

a. The prophet is asked concerning fasting. 

b. Answer: Not fasting but love is pleasing unto 

God. 

Part III. 

a. Prophecy against the enemies of Zion. 

b. The Messiah will come as Prince of Peace. 

c. The gathering of the Gentiles. 

d. Complaint against the unfaithful shepherds. 

Part IV. 

a. Israel's affliction and conversion. 

b. Sufferings and death of the Good Shepherd. 

c. Revelation of Jehovah's power and the exten- 

sion of the kingdom of God. 

3. Important passages : 1 :16; 2 :5, 8, 10, 11 ; 3:1, 2; 3 :8; 4:6; 

6:12, 13; 7:9, 10; 8:8, 13, 16, 17 and 23; 9:9; 11:13; 
12:3; 12:10; 13:1; 13:7; 14:7; 14:9. 

4. Central thought : The Lord God keepeth watch over his 

people and sendeth the Messiah, and together with 
him, complete salvation. 

Note: Zechariah's prophecies concerning the Messiah's first 
coming in lowliness and his second coming in glory, 
are of special importance. The interpretation is dif- 
ficult and the language at times obscure. 

MALACHI. (Abbr.=Mal.) 

1. Malachi is the last of the prophets of the Old Testament. 
Nothing is known of his personal history. He most 
probably lived during the time of Nehemiah. 



PROPHETICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 51 

2. Contents: The book contains three discourses: 

a. Denunciation of Israel's ingratitude and disregard of 

God's love. 

b. Condemnation of the infidelity of the priests and of 

the people. 

c. Discourse concerning the day of the Lord. Prophecy 

of the forerunner of the Messiah and of the coming 
of Christ. 

3. Important passages : 1 :6 ; 2 :7 ; 3 :1 ; 3 :7 ; 3 :17, 18 ; 4 :2, 

5, 6. 

4. Central thought: "Behold, I come quickly; and my re- 
ward is with me." 

QUESTIONS. 

Wherein lies the special significance of Nahum's prophecy against 
Nineveh ? 

At what time did Habakkuk prophesy? 

What is the peculiar character of his prophecy? 

How did Zephaniah awaken the zeal of King Josiah? 

In what period did the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi 
prophesy? 

What was the special purpose of Haggai's prophecy? 

In what respect are the prophecies of Zechariah similar to those 
of Ezekiel and Daniel? 

What special importance have the Messianic prophecies of 
Zechariah ? 

What prophet spoke of the forerunner of Christ? 

EXERCISES FOR REVIEW. 

Review carefully Lessons 7-9 and group together the contents 
of the prophecies. You will observe that they refer partly to Israel 
only, partly to the heathen nations only, partly to both Israel and the 
nations. What truths and lessons are thereby suggested to you? 

Write a short composition or essay on the topic: "The mission 
of the Prophets of Israel." 



PART TWO. 
SUMMARY OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. 

(Continued.) 

B. Contents of the Books of the New Testament. 

Lesson 10. 
INTRODUCTION. 

1. Read carefully Supplementary Lessons 3 to 5 and note 
what is said concerning the origin and language of the books of 
the New Testament. 

2. The New Testament contains the records of the new 
covenant of God with man, the covenant of grace in Christ 
Jesus. Yet this covenant of grace is only the fulfillment of 
the covenant of promise. What God promised and typified in 
the Old Testament, He fulfilled and carried out in the New 
Testament; and the New Testament continually refers to the 
promises of the Old Testament and points out how they are 
being fulfilled. 

3. The central figure in all the New Testament Scrip- 
tures, is the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the per- 
fect revelation of God and of the divine and eternal plan of 
salvation. All the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus 
Christ, "for all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in 
Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." 

4. For this reason the historical books of the New 
Testament treat of the advent, life, teaching and work of 

52 



INTRODUCTION. 53 

Jesus. They emphasize especially his sufferings, his death 
and his resurrection. They relate how Jesus Christ, being 
the "seed of the woman," the "seed of Abraham," the "Son 
of David" promised of God, founded and extended the King- 
dom of God as the prophets foretold. Four of these historical 
books, (the Gospels) treat of the founding of this kingdom; the 
fifth (Acts of the Apostles) tells us how this kingdom was 
spread abroad among the nations of the earth. 

5. The doctrinal books of the New Testament are let- 
ters (Epistles) of the Apostles, sent to congregations and in- 
dividuals. They were written for the purpose of strengthen- 
ing the faith of the believers, increasing their knowledge of 
spiritual matters, and the building up of true Christian charac- 
ter. They reveal the working of Jesus Christ by His Holy 
Spirit and Word. 

6. The prophetical book of the New Testament tells 
of the final consummation of the kingdom of God and the 
second coming of Christ "to judge the quick and the dead," 
when all the promises of God will be completely fulfilled. 

7. The contents of the New Testament Scriptures may 
be summed together as follows: 

I. What Christ has done. (Gospels and Acts.) 

II. What Christ is doing by his Spirit. (Epistles.) 

III. What Christ will do. (Revelations.) 

QUESTIONS. 

Study supplementary lessons 3 and 4 and state what you know 
about the language of the New Testament books. 
When were they accepted as canonical? 
What is their relation to the books of the Old Testament? 
What would you call "the heart of the New Testament Scriptures" ? 



54 BIBLE MANUAL. 

What portion of the history of Jesus do we find in the gospels? 

In what sense can the "Acts" be said to be a part of the history 
of Jesus? 

What do the Epistles reveal to us concerning the work of Christ? 

What does the prophetical book, Revelations, treat of? 

How can the contents of the New Testament be summarized? 






THE FOUR GOSPELS AND THE ACTS. 55 

Lesson 11. 

THE FOUR GOSPELS AND THE ACTS. 

The word "Gospel" means good news or glad tidings. 
There is but one Gospel and that is the glad tidings of the 
salvation of man by the death of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 
All of the four inspired men who wrote the Gospels, wrote 
about the life and work of the Saviour, His death and resur- 
rection. Yet each wrote in his own peculiar manner and for 
a special purpose; Hence there is variation in their writings. 

MATTHEW. (Abbr.=Matt. or Matth.) 

1. The Name indicates the author, Matthew (or Levi) the 

publican. In Chap. 9 of his gospel he himself tells 
how he was called to be an apostle. He wrote his 
gospel for Jewish Christians, his object being to pre- 
sent Jesus before them as the Christ, the Messiah, 
"that is born King of the Jews." 

2. Contents : One of the most striking peculiarities in Mat- 

thew's gospel is the frequent reference to the Old 
Testament Scriptures. Such expressions as: "All 
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was 
spoken of the Lord by the prophet," "thus it is writ- 
ten by the prophet," etc., occur again and again. The 
contents may be analysed as follows : 

Theme : Jesus, the King of the Jews. 

Part I. The Person of the King. 

1. Geneaology, birth and childhood of Jesus. 

2. His consecration. (Forerunner, baptism, temptation.) 



56 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Part II. The Work of the King. 

A. The kingdom of God brought nigh. 

1. The royal proclamation. (Sermon on the 

Mount.) 

2. The citizens of the kingdom, 

3. The laws of the kingdom. 

4. Demonstration of Jesus' kingly power. 

B. The extension of the kingdom. 

1. The King's messengers. 

2. Enmity against the King. 

C. The crisis of the kingdom and rejection of the King. 

Part III. The Passion of the King. 

1. Announcement of his passion. 

2. The transfiguration. 

3. Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 

4. Betrayal, arrest, trial, execution. 

Part IV. Glorious Exaltation of the King. 

1. The resurrection. 

2. The royal commission. 

3. Important Passages: Chap. 5-7 (Sermon on the Mount, 

Beatitudes, Lord's Prayer); 10:16, 29, 39; 11:28; 
Chap. 13; 16:16; 21 :13; 22:21 ; 22:34; Chaps. 23, 24 
and 25; 26:26; 26:36; 26:64; 27:46; 28:18. 

4. Central Thought : Jesus is the Christ, the promised Son 

of David, the King of Israel. 

MARK 

1. The Name indicates the author, John Mark, a disciple of 
Peter (I. Pet. 5:13) and a companion of Paul on his 
first missionary tour. He wrote primarily for Ro- 



THE FOUR GOSPELS AND THE ACTS. 57 

mans or Gentiles. His is the "Gospel of Jesus Christ, 
the-Sott of God" as he himself says r and he empha- 
sizes the revelations of Jesus' divine power. This 
gospel might be called "The song of the wars and the 
victories of the Lord." 

2. Contents : Theme : Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

I. Introduction : John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus, 

the temptation in the wilderness. 

II. Jesus' ministry in Galilee. 

1. Revelation of his divine power — miracles. 

2. The evil spirits acknowledge him as the Son of 

God. 

3. Enmity of the scribes and Pharisees. 

4. Peter's great confession: "Thou art Christ." 

III. Jesus' ministry in Judaea. 

1. Journey to Jerusalem, triumphal entry, purging 

of the temple, discourses. 

2. Passion: Anointing, Lord's Supper, Gethse- 

mane, trial, crucifixion, death and burial. 

IV. Jesus the victor over death and the grave. 

1. Resurrection, appearances of the risen Lord. 

2. Commission to the apostles. 

3. Ascension. 

3. Important Passages: 1:14, 15; 3:13ff; ch. 4; 10:13; 

11:22-24; 12:41; ch. 13; 13:37; 12:lff; 14:2ff. 

4. Central Thought: Jesus Christ is the "Shiloh," the "Son 

of David," the "Son of the living God." 



58 BIBLE MANUAL. 

LUKE. 

1. The Name indicates the author. Luke, or Lucas, was an 

educated Gentile and a physician. He was one of 
Paul's companions and his fellow worker in spread- 
ing the Christian faith. Paul no doubt exercised a 
great influence upon this dear companion, who was 
also his attendant during his imprisonment in Rome. 

2. Contents: The Gospel of Luke is addressed to a cer- 

tain Theophilus, a Gentile of good social station, to 
give him certain information concerning the histori- 
cal basis of the Christian faith, as Luke himself 
learned it from eye-witnesses. This purpose Luke 
declared thus: "That thou mightest know the cer- 
tainty of those things, wherein thou hast been in- 
structed/' He presents Jesus as the Saviour of the 
world, the saviour of the whole human race. There- 
fore Luke gives the genealogy beyond Abraham 
(Matth. I.) to Adam and God. In Luke's Gospel, as 
in no other, we see Jesus as "the true and sinless man, 
and yet more powerful than all creatures, because he 
is at the same time true God." 

Theme : Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World. 

I. The Wonderful Advent of the Son of Man. 

1. Previous history: The infancy and childhood of John 

the Baptist ; the annunciation. 

2. The nativity of Christ; song of the angels; shepherds. 

3. Childhood of Jesus; circumcision, presentation, visit to 

the temple. 

II. The Ministry of the Son of Man. 

1. Beginning of the public ministry: John the Baptist, 
baptism of Jesus, genealogy, temptation. 



THE FOUR GOSPELS AND THE ACTS. 59 

2. Ministry in Galilee: The great physician, the friend 

of sinners, teacher and priest. 

3. The last journey: Journey to Jerusalem, triumphal 

entry, cleansing of the temple. 

III. The Passion and Death of the Son of Man. 

1. Preparation: Discourses in the temple, betrayal by 

Judas, Passover and Holy Supper. 

2. Passion: Gethsemane, arrest, Peter's denial, Jesus 

on trial. 

3. The last hours : crucifixion, burial. 

IV. The Glorification of the Son of Man. 

1. The Victory: Resurrection; On the Way to Emmaus. 

2. The Glory: Promise, blessing, ascension. 

3. Important Passages : 1 :67ff ; 2 : 14 ; 2 :25ff ; 2 :49 ; 6 :20ff ; 

8:4ff; 9:55; 10:20; 10:42; 10:30f7; ll:2rl; 12:16rT; 
12:47; 13:6ff; 13:18ff; 14:16ff; 15 :4f f ; 15:llff; 
16:lff; 16:19ff; 17:20; 18:lff; 19:llff; 20:9ff; 
23:46; 24:29; 24:36. 

4. Central Thought: "Unto you is born a Saviour." 

JOHN. (Abbr.=Jno.) 

1. The Name indicates the author. John was the son of 
Zebedee, and with his brother James, followed the call- 
ing of a fisherman. Both were disciples of John the 
Baptist. Being called into the discipleship of Jesus, 
John became "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Dur- 
ing the reign of emperor Domitian he was banished to 
the isle of Patmos where he received his wonderful 
revelations from the Lord. The last years of his life 
he lived in Ephesus, where, according to tradition, he 
died a natural death. We have five books, or Scrip- 
tures, written by him : the gospel, three epistles and 
the book of Revelations, 



60 BIBLE MANUAL. 

2. Contents : Though John's gospel also treats o£ the life 

and ministry of Jesus, yet it is not a biography, and 
differs in a marked manner from the other three gos- 
pels. John had a definite object in view which he 
states thus : "Many other signs did Jesus — which are 
not written in this book ; but these are written that ye 
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; 
and that believing, ye might have life through his 
name." His object is to confirm Christians in the 
faith, proving by incontestable testimony, that "Jesus 
is the Christ, the Son of God." His gospel may be 
called the gospel of Testimony. 

I. Prologue: Statement of the fundamental thought. 

II. The testimony of John the Baptist. 

III. Other witnesses : Andrew, Philip, Nathaneal, Nico- 

demus, etc. 

IV. The testimony by miracles : These John calls "signs" 

and "works." 

V. The testimony of Jesus Himself : This is especially 

important, because it reveals to us what Jesus said 
of himself. 

VI. The testimony of the Father. 

VII. The testimony of the Scriptures. 

(The book may of course be analyzed in a different manner, 
but the above analysis seems to harmonize best with 
John's purpose as quoted above.) 

3. Important Passages: l:lff; 1:14; 1:17; 1:29; 3:3, 5, 16 

4:24; 6:48, 53; 6:68; 7:37; 8:12; 8:34; 8:46 
8:58; 10:12ff; 10:27; 10:30; 11:25; 12:31; 13:34 
14:6; 14:16; 15:lff; 16:23; 16:33; Chap. 17; 18:36, 
37 ; 19 :26, 28, 30 ; 20 :22 ; 21 :15ff. 



THE FOUR GOSPELS AND THE ACTS. 61 

Central Thought: The Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of 
the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and 
truth; whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, 
but have eternal life. 

THE ACTS. 

The Name designates the contents. This book is the con- 
tinuation of the gospel of Luke. In relating "the acts 
of the apostles," Luke describes the development of 
the Christian Church. He relates how the apostles 
carried out the commandment of Jesus, "to preach the 
gospel to every creature." 

Contents : Theme : The victorious advance of the gospel. 

1. The Founding of the Christian Church. 

a. Ascension of Jesus, b. Election of a new apos- 
tle, c. Pentecost, d. The first Christian 
Church. 

2. Growth of the Church Amidst Difficulties. 

a. First miracle and first persecution, b. Greater 
miracle and more violent persecution; mirac- 
ulous deliverance, c. Stephen the first mar- 
tyr. 

3. Preparations for Planting the Church Among the Gen- 

tiles. 

a. Conversion of Paul. b. Cornelius. c. The 
Church at Antioch. d. The Church in Jeru- 
salem. 

4. The Spreading of Christianity Among the Gentiles. 

a. First missionary journey of Paul. b. The coun- 
cil at Jerusalem, c. Second journey of Paul. 
d. Third journey, e. Paul's arrest. /. Jour- 
ney to Rome. 



62 BIBLE MANUAL. 

3. Important Passages: Chap. 2; 4:12; 4:19; 5:29; 5:38 

5:41; Chap. 6; 7:55, 58, 59; 9:15; 10:15; 10:35 
11:26; 13:46; 14:16; 15:lff; 15:10, 11; 16:9; 17 
22ff; 19:3; 20:17ff ; 20:35; 24:16; 26:24; 28:17 ft. 

4. Central Thought: Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit, 

gathers and preserves for himself, a chosen com- 
munion, by means of the preaching of the gospel by 
the apostles. 

QUESTIONS. 

What does the word "gospel" mean? 

What is the glad tidings? 

In which of the four gospels is Jesus presented as the promised 
Messiah ? 

Which gospel shows Jesus as "the lion from the tribe of Judah"? 

In what manner does Luke present the life of Christ? 

What is the peculiar characteristic of the gospel of John? 

In what two gospels is the genealogy of Jesus recorded? 

Recalling what you have learned thus far, can you give a reason 
why the genealogy in Matthew extends only to Abraham, whereas 
Luke carries it back to Adam? 

What is the connection between the gospels and the book of Acts? 

Is the book of Acts a history of the apostles or a record of the 
work of Jesus? Give a reason for your answer. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 63 



Lesson 12. 

THE DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE 
NEW TESTAMENT. 

1. The doctrinal books of the New Testament are all 
letters or "Epistles," written by Apostles of Jesus, and sent 
to congregations or to individual believers, to strengthen them 
in the Faith and to instruct them in the Truth. Their contents 
are partly didactic, partly admonishing, partly reproving. The 
author is mentioned in all the epistles, excepting the epistle 
to the Hebrews. Some scholars believe that the Apostle Paul 
is the author of this epistle, others believe that it was written 
by some disciple of Paul. 

2. The names or titles of these epistles designate either 
the congregations or individuals to which they were sent, or 
the author. 

3. The most of the epistles were written by Paul, the 
great "Apostle to the Gentiles." The story of his life, as far 
as it is known, is recorded in the book of Acts. This great 
apostle is justly called the "Apostle of Faith." Nowhere else 
do we find the evangelical doctrine of salvation and justifica- 
tion by faith presented so clearly and convincingly, as in the 
writings of Paul. We may truly say of Paul: "He being 
dead, yet speaketh." (Hebr. 11:4.) 

ROMANS. (Abbr.=Rom.) 

1. The Church in Rome was not founded by the apostle 

Paul, yet he felt constrained to preach the gospel to 
this church. It is probable that the Christians in Rome 
were mostly converted Gentiles. Just for this reason 



64 --..i BIBLE MANUAL. 

it was necessary to give them very clear instruction 
concerning the doctrine of Christianity. Then, too, 
Paul hoped at some time to come to Rome and to 
make further missionary tours from that place. 

2. Contents Outlined: 

A. Introduction: 1:1-15. 

B. Theme: 1:16, 17. The Gospel is the power of God 

unto salvation, because it manifests the righteous- 
ness of God, which is by faith unto all them that 
believe. 

C. Doctrinal Part: 1 :18 to 11 :36. 

I. Righteousness by Faith. 

1. The world's need of such righteousness. 

2. The righteousness which God offers. 

3. The common condemnation in Adam, and 

common salvation in Christ. 

II. Sanctification. 

1. The new principle of sanctification. 

2. The impotency of the Law. 

3. The work of the Holy Spirit. 

III. Rejection of Israel. 

1. The independence and sovereignty of God. 

2. Cause of Isreal's rejection. 

3. God's plan of salvation revealed in the 
sacred history. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 65 

D. Practical Part : 12 :1 to 15 :13. 

I. Christian Conduct. 

1. The basis of Christian conduct. 

2. The believer, as a member of the Church. 

3. The believer, as citizen. 

4. The impelling power of the Christian life. 

II. Special directions for the Church in Rome. 

E. Valedictory: 15:14-27. 

Recommendations, greetings, exhortation and dox- 
ology. 

3. Important Passages: 1:3, 4; 1:16, 17; 1:19; 2:6; 2:14; 

3:21; 4:25; 5:1; 5:12ff; 6:1, 4, 14, 23; 7:7, 8, 15; 
8:1, 7, 15, 19; 8:28; 8:31; 9:16; 10:4; 10:17; 11:25, 
26; 12:1; 12:17; 13:lff; 13:10, 13; 14:7, 8: 14.17. 

4. Central Thought : The Gospel is the power of God unto 

salvation, because it manifests the righteousness of 
God which is by faith. 

CORINTHIANS. (Abbr.=Cor.) 

1. The Church at Corinth was founded by Paul on his 
second missionary journey. What Paul had planted, 
was afterwards nurtured by Apollo, a man "mighty 
in the Scriptures," and the church waxed strong in 
spiritual gifts and in knowledge. But other teachers 
also came to Corinth, teaching heresies, causing dis- 
sension and creating factions in the church. Other 
evils also arose in the church and threatened to de- 
stroy the work of the apostle. News of these condi- 
tions came to Paul while he was at Ephesus, whence 
he immediately wrote his first epistle to the Corin- 
thians. The second epistle he wrote from Macedonia 
when Titus had reported to him the effect of his 
first epistle. 



BIBLE MANUAL. 

Contents Outlined: 

/, Corinthians 

A. Introduction: 

Greeting, praise to God, recognition and praise 
of the church at Corinth. 

B. The Epistle proper. 

I. The factions at Corinth. 

II. Church discipline. 

III. Concerning marriage. 

IV. Concerning Christian liberty. 

V. Conduct in the assemblies. 

VI. Concerning the Lord's Supper. 

VII. Concerning spiritual gifts. 

"VIII. "The Greatest Thing in the World." 
IX. Concerning the resurrection from the dead. 

C. Close of the Epistle. 

Collection for the saints, admonitions and saluta- 
tions. 

II. Corinthians. 

A. Introduction. 

Praise to God for his comfort in tribulation; Rea- 
son why Paul did not come to Corinth. 

B. The Epistle. 

I. The glorious ministry of the apostle. 

II. Application of the teaching concerning the 

ministry. 

III. Collection for the saints in Jerusalem. 

IV. Defense of the apostle against false teachers. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 67 

C. Close of the Epistle. 

-Severe discipline threatened, exhortations, greet- 
ings and benediction. 

3. Important Passages: I. Cor. 1:23; 1:26, 30; 2:14; 3:11, 

22:41ff; 5:5, 7; 6:19; 8:9; 9:24; 10:12; ll:23ff; 
12:4, 28; Chap. 13; 14:33, 34; 15:14, 17, 44, 55, 56, 
57; 16:2, 13, 14. 
II. Cor. 3:17; 4:7; 4:17; 5:7, 10, 17, 19-21; 7:10; 8:9; 
9:6; 12:1, 9, 10; 13:13. 

4. Central Thoughts: Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, 

quit you like men. 

Let all your things be done with charity. 

He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

GALATIANS. (Abbr.=Gal.) 

1. The Galatian Churches had also been organized by the 

Apostle Paul, and consisted chiefly of Gentile Chris- 
tians who had received the gospel with enthusiasm. 
But after Paul's departure, some Judaizing teachers 
came to them, teaching that strict observance of the 
Jewish ordinances was necessary for salvation. They 
also tried to discredit the apostleship of Paul and to 
estrange the Galatians from him and the doctrine he 
had taught them. In this they were partly successful, 
and therefore Paul wrote this epistle, an urgent ap- 
peal and loving exhortation and warning against this 
heresy. 

2. Outline of Contents: 

A. Introduction : Apostolic greeting. 

B. The Epistle: 

I. Backsliding of the Galatians. Proof of Paul's 
apostolic authority. 



68 BIBLE MANUAL. 

II. Concerning Justification by faith. 

1. The experience of the Galatians. 

2. The evidence from the Scriptures. 

III. Concerning the Fruits of Faith. 

1. Exhortation : The proper use of liberty. 
Warning against its abuse. 
2. Exhortation to love and sanctified living. 

3. Special exhortations. 

C. Conclusion. 

3. Important Passages: 1 :8, 9; 2:9; 2:16; 2:20; 3:10, 13, 

24, 28; 4:4, 6, 26; 5:6, 17, 19-22, 24; 6:7-10. 

4. Central Thought: Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty 

wherewith Christ hath made us free; only use not 
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but walk in the 
Spirit. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

How did the doctrinal books of the New Testament originate? 

What do we know concerning their authors? 

Who wrote most of the epistles? 

Why is Paul called the "Apostle of Faith"? 

What is the central thought of the epistle to the Romans? 

What induced Paul to write the epistles to the Corinthians? 

What are the main thoughts of the epistles to the Corinthians? 

What heresy prompted Paul to write the epistle to the Galatians? 

Note — The student should carefully note the occasion why, and 
the purpose for which the several epistles were written. The out- 
lines of the contents are intended as helps for understanding the 
epistles when reading. Reference to them will be made in some of the 
following lessons. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 69 



Lesson 13. 

THE EPISTLES (Continued). 
EPHESIANS. (Abbr.=Eph.) 

1. The Church at Ephesus was organized by Paul on his 

second journey. Later Paul remained at Ephesus 
almost 3 years, and this church developed into one of 
the most important churches of early Christendom. 
The epistle was written by Paul during his imprison- 
ment in Rome. It is a didactic epistle, intended, most 
likely, to be read in other churches besides the one in 
Ephesus. It is an exceptionally clear discourse on 
the glory of the Christian Church. 

2. Outline of Contents: 

A. Introduction : Dedication and greeting. 

B. Theme : The Church, the "Body of Christ." 

C. Discourse : 

I. The glory of the Church of Christ. 

II. The nature and character of the Church. 

III. The walk and conduct of the Church. 

IV. The warfare of the Church. 

D. Conclusion : The mission of Tychicus, salutations. 

3. Important Passages : 1 :10, 20 ; 1 :22ff ; 2 :8 ; 2 :14 ; 2 :20 ; 

3:15, 19; 4:3-6, 11; 5:14, 26; 5:32; 6:llff. 

4. Central Thought: The Christian Church, the "Body of 

Christ" and the "Bride of Christ," owes its glory to 
the wonderful working of its "Head." 



70 BIBLE MANUAL. 

PHILIPPIANS. (Abbr.=Phil.) 

1. The Church at Philippi, the first that Paul organized in 

Europe, seems to have always remained very closely 
connected with the apostle. This church had also 
shown its love to Paul by sending him donations for 
his support. Paul accepted this support in loving 
gratitude, and sent this epistle as an acknowledge- 
ment. It has justly been called "Paul's love letter." 

2. Outline of Contents: 

1. Apostolic greeting. 

2. Thanksgiving and prayer for the church. 

3. Paul's report concerning himself. 

4. The main exhortation: 

a. Exhortation. 

b. The example of Christ. 

c. How to imitate the example, 

5. Mission of Titus and Epaphroditus. 

6. Closing exhortations : 

a. Joy in the Lord. 

b. Warning against false teachers. 

c. The secret of true joy. 

7. Greetings and blessing. 

3. Important Passages: 1:6; 1:21; 2:3, 4; 2:5ff; 2:12ff; 

3:12; 3:18; 3:20; 4:4, 6, 7; 4:8; 4:12ff. 

4. Central Thought: The secret of true Christian joy is 

found in following Christ in the mind of Christ, 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 71 

COLOSSIANS. (Abbr.=Col.) 

1. The Church at Colossae, founded by Epaphras, consisted 

chiefly of Gentile Christians which had never seen 
the Apostle Paul ; yet Paul had heard that some dan- 
gerous heresies concerning angelic beings, penance and 
Jewish ordinances were causing dissension. Paul 
therefore wrote this epistle, correcting the erroneous 
doctrine, emphasizing especially the person of Christ 
and the new life in Him. 

2. Outline : The epistle consists of two parts : 
Part I. : Doctrinal. 

1. Salutation, thanksgiving, Paul's interest in the 

Colossians. 

2. The exalted glory of Christ and the Christian 

economy. 

3. Warning against errors. 

Part II. : Exhortations. 

1. General: Heavenly mindedness, Christian vir- 

tues. 

2. Specific: Sundry duties. 

3. Closing exhortation and salutations. 

3. Important Passages : 1 :15 ; 1 :20 ; 2 :9 ; 2 :16 ; 3 :1 ; 3 :14 ; 

3:16. 

4. Central Thought : In Christ are hid all the treasures of 

wisdom and knowledge, for He is the image of the 
invisible God, and in Him dwelleth the fullness of the 
Godhead bodily. 

THESSALONIANS. (Abbr.=Thes.) 

1. In Thessalonica (Saloniki), the capital of Macedonia, 

Paul had organized a small church on his second mis- 

. sionary journey. He, however, could not stay there 



72 BIBLE MANUAL. 

long, on account of the presecutions of the Jews, who, 
in their hatred, followed Paul to Berea. So Paul's 
friends sent him away to Athens. From Athens Paul 
sent Timothy back to Thessalonica. Later, Timothy 
rejoined Paul at Corinth, and reported to him the 
condition of the church. This induced Paul to write 
his first epistle, and, some time afterward, also the 
second. Both epistles show Paul's anxiety concern- 
ing the faith of the Christians at Thessalonica. These 
epistles are especially important because of their 
teachings concerning the second coming of Christ. 

2. Outlines: 

I. Thessalonians. 

1. Apostolic greeting (1:1). 

2. Joy and thanksgiving of the apostle because the Thes- 

salonians had embraced the faith with enthusiasm. 
(1:2 to 3:13.) 

3. Earnest exhortations to godliness, warning against the 

Gentile sins, exhortation to brotherly love and hon- 
est labor. (4:1-12.) 

4. Christ's second coming. (4:13 to 5:3.) 

5. Final exhortations and salutations. (5:3-28.) 

77. Thessalonians. 

1. Apostolic greeting. (1:1 and 2.) 

2. Praise to God for the faith and love of the church; 

words of cheer and comfort. (1:3-12.) 

3. Teaching concerning the coming of Christ and "the 

man of sin" ; warning against impatience and cor- 
ruptions. (Ch. 2.) 

4. Exhortation to prayer; precepts and salutations. 

(Ch. 3.) 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 73 

Important Passages: I. Thess. — 4:3; 4:11 ; 4:13ff" ; 5:8; 
5:21,23. 

II. Thess.— 2:3; 2:6, 7; 3:10. 

Central Thoughts: The Lord cometh. The day of the 
Lord cometh as a thief in the night. Pray without 
ceasing. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What do you know about the church at Ephesus? 

Of what does the epistle to the Ephesians treat? 

What caused Paul to write the letter to the Philippians? 

What was the occasion for his writing the epistle to the Galatians ? 

What is emphasized especially in the epistle to the Galatians? 

Why are the epistles to the Thessalonians especially important? 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 14. 



THE EPISTLES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT— 

(Continued). 

EPISTLES TO TIMOTHY. (Abbr.=Tim.) 

1. Pastoral Epistles is the name given to the epistles of 

Timothy and to Titus. They are thus called because, 
in these personal letters, Paul instructs his fellow 
workers concerning the work of their ministry. They 
present church questions from the viewpoint of the 
minister. 

2. Timothy had been chosen as a companion by Paul while 

making his second missionary journey. Timothy's 
father was a Greek; his mother, Eunice, and his 
grandmother, Lois, were converted Jewesses. Though 
a very young man, Timothy was the most trusted of 
all of Paul's assistants. None stood nearer to Paul 
than this "beloved and faithful child." To him Paul 
entrusted the most important missions ; him Paul left 
in Ephesus as his -representative and as overseer of 
the church. 

3. The Purpose of the first epistle was to give Timothy 

instructions concerning the management of his office 
and the contention against heresies. In the second 
epistle Paul encourages Timothy to faithfulness in 
service and requests him to come to Rome. 

4. Outlines: 

2". Timothy. 

I. Apostolic salutations. 

II. The doctrines of Law and Grace opposed to the 

teachings of the false teachers. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 75 

III. Congregational r egul ations . 

a. Public worship, prayer, station of women. 
b Concerning bishops and deacons. 
c. Truths of Christian revelation. 

IV. Corrupt teachers. 

V. Instruction for Timothy's direction. 

a. The position of Timothy. 

b. Concerning elders, widows, servants. 

VI. Closing charge, benediction. 

II. Timothy. 

I. Salutation, personal note. 

II. Warning, and exhortation. 

a. To courageous suffering for the faith. 

b. To firm perseverance against heresy. 

III. Paul's condition in Rome. 

IV. Charges and closing salutation. 

5. Important Passages: I. Tim.— 1 :9; 1:15; 2:4, 5, 6, 12; 

3:1, 16; 4:1, 8; 6:6; 6:10-12; 6:16. 

II. Tim.— 2:3rT; 2:19; 3:15-17; 4:6-18. 

6. Central Thought: The fundamental truths of the gos- 

pel — the incarnation, passion, death, resurrection and 
glorification of Christ — contain the essence of divine 
revelation. With this "sound doctrine" the church is 
armed against all attacks of the enemy and all heresy. 

EPISTLE TO TITUS. (Abbr.=Tit.) 

1. Titus, a Greek, converted by Paul, was also one of Paul's 
assistants. He accompanied Paul on his journeys, 
was sent twice to Corinth, and the church in Crete 



76 BIBLE MANUAL. 

was placed in his charge. While Titus was in Crete, 
Paul sent him this epistle, the contents of which 
correspond to I. Timothy. 

2. Contents: Instructions to Titus, how to carry on his 

work. 

1. Apostolic greeting. (1:1-4.) 

2. Appointment of elders. (1:5-9.) 

3. Combating false teachers. (1:10-16.) 

4. Various precepts. (2:1-10.) 

5. Grace urges most strongly to godly living. (2:11-15.) 

6. Special instructions for Titus, and close. (3:1-15.) 

3. Important Passages : 1 : 12 ; 2 : 1 Iff ; 3 :4ff . 

4. Central Thought: The grace of God, which appeared in 

Jesus Christ, and the looking for the object of our 
Christian hope, urge us more strongly than anything 
else, that we should lead a righteous and godly life in 
this world. 

PHILEMON. (Abbr.=Philem.) 

1. Philemon was a prominent member of the church at 

Colossae. Onesimus, one of his slaves, had robbed 
him and fled to Rome. Here Onesimus was con- 
verted by Paul. Then Paul sent him back to Philemon 
with this epistle, begging Philemon to receive Onesi- 
mus in a forgiving, Christian spirit. This epistle is a 
private, personal letter of Paul, and an exquisite ex- 
ample of tender and delicate, and yet urgent, Chris- 
tion petition. In itself, it is a fine lesson on the in- 
tercourse of Christians among themselves. 

2. Outline : 

1. Recognition of the faith and generosity of Philemon. 

2. Cordial intercession in behalf of Onesimus. 

3. Request to prepare lodging; close. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 77 

3. Important Passages : 1 :8 ; 1 :13, 14; 1 :15; 1 :17. 

4. Central Thought: The solution of the difficult "Servant 

problem" is found in brotherly, Christian love. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Why are the epistles to Timothy and Titus called "pastoral" 
letters? 

What is told about the personality of Timothy? 

What was the purpose of the epistles to Timothy? 

What is the only weapon by means of which the church can over- 
come heresies? 

What is the central thought of the epistle to Titus? 

What caused Paul to write the epistle to Philemon? 

How can the "Servant Problem" be solved? 



78 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 15. 

THE EPISTLES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT— 
(Continued). 

HEBREWS. (Abbr.=Heb. or Hebr.) 

1. In the epistles which we have thus far considered, the 

Apostle Paul was named in each as the author. The 
epistle to the Hebrews does not name the author, and 
scholars are not at all agreed concerning its author- 
ship. In the earliest Greek MSS. it is placed among 
the epistles of Paul. Though we must be content 
to remain in uncertainty concerning the author, yet 
the whole epistle shows plainly that the author was 
under strong Pauline influence, and it may therefore 
very properly be placed with the epistles of this great 
apostle. 

2. The epistle is addressed to the Hebrew Christians. These 

were always in danger of apostasy and falling back 
into Judaism. They naturally also clung to the im- 
pressive Temple services, the "delight of the Lord." 
This epistle shows the superiority of Christ and the 
New Covenant over the types of the Old Testament. 

3. Contents : There are two main divisions : 
I. The Person and Work of Christ. 

1. Jesus Christ is superior to the angels, 
a A.s the Son of God. 
b. As the Son of Man. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 79 

2. Jesus Christ is superior to men. 

a. Superior to Moses the Prophet. 

b. Superior to Joshua the Leader. 

c. Superior to Aaron the Priest. 

3. Jesus Christ is superior to Aaron: 

a. In respect to his person. 

b. In respect to his sanctuary. 

c. In respect to his sacrifice. 

II. The Life of Faith which comes from the knowledge 
of Christ and His Work. 

1. The privileges and duties of the New Covenant. 

2. Faith, Patience, Hope, Love and Good Works. 

Note, also, that the epistle contains five special warnings : 
2:1-4; 4:11; 5:11-6:20; 10:26-39; 12:14-29. 

4. Important Passages: 1 :2, 3 ; 1 :14; 4:9; 4:12; 4:15, 16 

5:8, 9; 6:4-6; 7:26; 8:10fT; 9:12, 14, 22; 9:27, 28 
10:22,23; 10:38; Chap. 11; 12:1,2,6, 11, 14; 13:8 
13:9, 13, 14; 13:6; 13:17. 

5. Central Thought: The glory of the New Covenant in 

Jesus Christ and its superiority over the Old Cove- 
nant is a great comfort in all tribulation, and a power- 
ful stimulus to seek righteousness and holiness. 

THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. (Abbr.=Jas.) 

1. The epistle of James, together with the following epistles 
of Peter, John and Jude, are known as "The Catholic 
Epistles." This term has no reference to the Ro- 
man church. The term "Catholic" means "General," 
and the epistles are so called because they are not ad- 
dressed, to individuals or to particular churches, but 
to. believers in general. 



80 BIBLE MANUAL. 

2. James, the author of this epistle, was not the apostle, but 

the brother of the Lord; and he held a very prominent 
position in the church at Jerusalem, and was sur- 
named "The Just." This epistle probably is the earli- 
est of the writings of the New Testament, since 
James was put to death in A. D. 62 or 63, at which 
early date probably none of the gospels were yet 
written. 

3. Contents : Exhortation to patience, proving faith by good 

works. 

I. Exhortation to Patience and Faithfulness in Trials. 

1. Rejoicing in outward trials. 

2. Overcoming inward temptations. 

II. Exhortation to Works of Love. 

1. Hearing and doing of God's Word. 

2. False and true religion. 

3. Condemnation of the respect of persons. 

4. Faith and works. 

5. Control of the unbridled tongue. 

III. Rebuke and Call to Repentance. 

IV. Renewed Exhortation to Patience. 

1. The coming of the Lord. 

2. Prayer and intercession ; closing exhortation. 

4. Important Passages: 1:2; 1:12; 1:13; 1:17;1:22; 1:27; 

2:14ff; 2:26; 3:5; 3:15; 4:7, 8; 4:17; 5:12; 5:14; 
5:19,20. 

5. Central Thought: True and saving faith must and will 

reveal itself in good works. Trials and temptations 
should give us occasion for rejoicing, inasmuch as they 
offer an opportunity to prove that faith unto which 
salvation is promised. Faith without works is dead. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 81 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What can you say concerning the author of the epistle to the 
Hebrews? Why may it be placed with the Pauline epistles? 

What was the reason for writing this epistle? 

What is the subject of its contents? 

In what respect does this epistle help us to understand the books 
of Moses? 

What is meant by "The Catholic Epistles"? Which epistles are 
so called? 

What can you say about the author of the epistle of James ? 

What does this epistle teach concerning the relation between faith 
and works? 

What exhortation is contained in this epistle? 



82 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 16. 

THE EPISTLES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
(Concluded). 

THE EPISTLES OF PETER. (Abbr.=Pet.) 

1. Peter, the author of these epistles, speaks of the church in 

■±- - Babylon (5:13), and from this it has been concluded 
that he sojourned at that place when he wrote his 
epistles ; but many scholars believe that this name 
signifies Rome, and there is no doubt that the Jews 
very often used this name of Babylon for Rome, the 
city which they hated. However, nowhere else in 
the Bible do we find any hint that Peter ever visited 
Rome, though tradition reports that he suffered mar- 
tyrdom in that city. 

2. The Purpose of the epistles is clearly set forth: Strength- 

ening of the faith and assurance of grace in the time 
of tribulation and persecution. 

3. Contents: 

/. Peter. 

I. Greetings. Thanksgiving for the happy state of the 

believers to whom the epistle is addressed. 

II. The excellency of the state of grace, the "inheritance" 

of the believers. 

III. Exhortation to holiness. 

a. In contrast with unbelievers and Gentiles. 

b. In respect to civil magistrates and domestic rela- 

tions. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE- NEW TESTAMENT. 83 

IV. General exhortations respecting the conduct of Chris- 

tians towards one another and towards enemies. 

V. Final exhortations, blessings and greetings. 

//. Peter. 

I. Introduction and greeting. 

II. Exhortation to holy living. 

I'll. Teaching concerning the second coming of Christ. 

IV. Warning against false teachers. 

V. Prophecy of the coming of Christ and of the end of 

the world. 

4. Important Passages: 

I. Peter: 1:12; 1:18; 2:24; 3:18; 1:23; 2:5; 2:9; 2:11; 

2:13; 2:16; 2:21; 3:4; 3:9; 3:19; 4:10; 5:6; 5:7. 

II. Peter: l:5ff; 1:19, 21; 3:8, 9; 3:13. 

5. Central Thoughts : The holy lives of the Christians bear 

witness against the enemies of Christ. In times of 
tribulation the believer is strengthened by the thought 
of Christ's coming, and stimulated to overcome the 
lusts of the flesh. "Perfect through sufferings." 

THE EPISTLES OF JOHN. (Abbr.=I.-II.-III. Jno.) 

1. The Author is John the Apostle, who also wrote the fourth 

gospel and the book of Revelations. 

2. The Object of these epistles was to warn Christians against 

false doctrines, especially against those corrupt 
teachers who denied that Jesus Christ was the Son 
of God made manifest in the flesh. 



84 BIBLE MANUAL. 

3. Contents : 

/. John 

1. The fellowship of the Father and the Son. 

2. Christian and antichristian characteristics. 

3. Concerning love. 

4. Concerning faith. 

5. Closing remarks. 

II. John. 

This second epistle is addressed to "the elect lady." 
This may have been a woman, just as the third epistle is 
addressed to a man ; but the expression may refer to some 
local church, which indeed is more probable. The epistle 
contains an earnest warning against false teachers. 

III. John 

This epistle is a private letter addressed to a man named 
Gains, in which the apostle commends him for his hospital- 
ity, and admonishes him not to cease exercising this Chris- 
tian virtue towards the brethren in the faith. 

3. Important Passages : 

I. John: 1:5; 1:9; 2:2; 2:7, 8; 2:15; 2:18; 3:1; 3:4; 

3:9; 3:18; 4:9; 4:16; 4:19; 5:4; 5:16. 

II. John: 1:6; 1:7; 1:9; 1:10, 11. 

III. John: 1:4; 1:7, 8; 1:11. 

4, Central Thought: The foundation-stone of the Chris- 

tian Faith is : "Jesus Christ is the Son of God, mani- 
fest in the flesh." True Christianity is recognized 
first by this doctrine, secondly by the fulfillment of 
Christ's law of love. 



DOCTRINAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 85 
THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 

1. Judas, the author of this short epistle, was not the apostle. 

He was "the brother of James" (the writer of the 
epistle of James), and probably the youngest brother 
of the Lord. We have only one other record in the 
Bible concerning him, Mk. 6:3. His epistle is prob- 
ably one of the latest writings of the New Testament. 

2. Contents: The letter is an earnest warning against god- 

less seducers, an urgent admonition to be steadfast 
in the defense of the Christian doctrine and an ex- 
hortation to godliness. 

3. Important Passages: 1:3, 4; 1 :6; 1 :9 ; 1:14, 15; 1 :24, 25. 

4. Central Thought : Christians cannot avoid the holy war- 

fare of faith; they must fight the good fight; they 
must not flinch in the defense of the truth. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Where were the epistles of Peter written? 

What interpretation is given by some Bible students concerning this 
place ? 

What is the purpose of Peter's epistles? 

In what manner should a Christian be influenced by the thought 
of the second coming of Christ? 

Against what particular heresy does the apostle John caution in 
his epistles? 

Which epistle contains an exhortation to hospitality? 

By what doctrine is Christianity tested? 

What is the special warning in the epistle of Jude? 

What does this epistle teach about the Christian's warfare? 



86 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 17. 

THE PROPHETIC BOOK OF THE NEW 

TESTAMENT. 

1. The New Testament has but one prophetical book, 
which is also the last book of the Bible. The prophets of the 
Old Testament spoke concerning the first coming of Christ; 
John, the prophet of the New Testament, speaks in this 
prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ. Only a 
part of the divine promise was fulfilled when Christ was made 
manifest in the flesh. Though we find some very important 
references concerning the consummation of the kingdom of 
God in the prophetic books of the Old Testament (esp. in 
Daniel and Zechariah), yet these prophets spoke mainly of 
Christ's first coming and of the founding of this kingdom. 
In this book of Revelations, however, John, at the direct com- 
mand of Christ, records those specific revelations which were 
given to him concerning the fulfillment and ultimate consum- 
mation of the divine plan of salvation. 

2. The Author of this last book of the Bible is John the 
Apostle. In the reign of the Emperor Domitian, John was 
exiled "in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, 
and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." During this exile, he, 
in a series of visions, received these revelations concerning 
the "things which are and the things which shall be hereafter." 

3. The Book of Revelations is one of the most difficult 
to interpret, because the greater portion is prophecy, and be- 
cause it contains so many allegories, parables and visions. The 
meaning of some portions of the book is very obscure, and the 
people of God will probably not fully discover it until the time 
is at hand and the Lord comes. Nevertheless this book is one 



PROPHETIC BOOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 87 

of the most important of the whole Bible. The book must be 
interpreted in its- connection with and in the light of the whole 
Bible, -otherwise we are sure to err. 

Eternally true are the words which John himself places at 
the beginning of this book: "Blessed is he that readeth, and 
tliey that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things 
which are written therein; for the time is at hand" 

4. Summary of Contents : 

I. Introduction and Prologue. 

II. First Part of the Revelation. 

1. Vision of the glorified Christ and seven stars 

and seven candlesticks. 

2. The messages to the seven churches. 

III. The Second Part of the Revelation. 

1. Vision of the Throne of God and the Lamb of 

God. 

2. The seven Seals. 

3. The seven trumpets of the seventh seal. 

4. The seventh trumpet. 

a. The woman, the dragon, the beast with 

seven heads and ten horns. 

b. The Lamb and the angels of judgment. 

c. The seven vials of wrath. 

5. The judgment over the powers of darkness. 

IV. Third Part of the Revelation. 

1 . The new heaven and the new earth. 

2. The new Jerusalem. 

3. The river of life. 

V. Epilogue. 



88 BIBLE MANUAL. 

5. Important Passages: 2:4; 2:10; 3:11, 15; 3:20; 5:12; 

6:9fT; 7:9, 13ff; 14:13; 19:9; 20:5,. 12; 21:2; 21:5; 
22:18, 19; 22:20. 

6. Central Thought: The Lord cometh, and the eternal 

plan of God will be fulfilled. Looking forward to 
this glorious consummation of God's plan, the Church 
of Christ, in patience and expectation, continues to 
pray: "Amen, yea come Lord Jesus." 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Of what does John speak in the book of Revelations? 
What portion of the history of God's kingdom is treated in this 
book? 

Where did John write this book? 

Why is the interpretation difficult? 

Why is this book an important book of the Bible? 

What is the central thought of this book? 



PART THREE. 
THE SACRED HISTORY. 

A. Old Testament History. 
Lesson 18. 

1. In our previous lessons we have learned that the 
Scriptures of the Old Testament deal very much with the his- 
tory of the people of Israel. But a comparison of this history 
with the methods usually followed by historians reveals a very 
remarkable peculiarity of this sacred history. Though the 
people of Israel figure largely in this history, yet we find no 
attempt to give a complete, uninterrupted history of this nation, 
and very little of contemporary history is mentioned. The pur- 
pose of these historical records is a different one. The sacred 
history is a record of God's government and of God's un- 
wavering fidelity. To present this clearly before our vision 
is the chief purpose of sacred history. Hence, we notice that 
the leading characters in this history are judged solely by their 
relation to God, by their obedience and fidelity to Him. In 
short, the sacred history is a history of the development of 
God's plan of salvation. 

2. History is the record of things that have occurred, of 
deeds that were done, a record of facts. Sacred History is the 
record of what God has done for the salvation of mankind. It 
is a revelation of God's activity. God not only governs the 
doings of men, but He appears personally, speaks and acts 
among them, for the consummation of His eternal plan of sal- 
vation in Christ Jesus. And, as the Bible describes this ac- 



90 BIBLE MANUAL. 

tivity of God, it unfolds before our eyes a vision of who God 
is, and what He wills to be for us. 

3. This peculiar characteristic of the sacred history must 
always be borne in mind, not only in order to understand the 
history of Israel, but also because otherwise no understanding 
of the Bible can be acquired. 

4. One of the best methods of studying sacred history is 
the study by Periods, or Epochs, noting with special care the 
chief characters and events. The following outline will be fol- 
lowed in these lessons, and the student should refer to it con- 
tinually in his study of the lessons we are now entering upon. 

OUTLINE OF SACRED HISTORY. 



Sacred History Has Three Main Divisions: 

I. The Creation and Fall of Man. 

1. The creation. 

2. The calling and destiny of man. 

3. The fall of man. 

4. The results of the fall of man. 

II. The Preparation of Man's Salvation. 

1. Period: Adam to Moses. 

2. Period: Moses to Saul. 

3. Period : Saul to the Babylonian Capitvity. 

4. Period : Captivity to Christ. 

III. Realization and Consummation of Man's Salvation. 

1. Salvation obtained and presented in the person of 

Jesus Christ. 

2. Salvation preached by the apostles. 

3. Salvation accepted in the church. 

4. Ultimate consummation of salvation. 



Parts I. and II. of Sacred History are recorded in the scriptures of 
the Old Testament; the New Testament treats exclusively of Part III. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 91 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

In what respect only can Old Testament history be called a 
history of Israel? 

What is the peculiar characteristic of this history? 

Why is the Biblical history called Sacred History? 

In what respect is it Revelation? 

What is the significance of this peculiarity of Sacred History in 
respect to the understanding of the Bible? 

Note and study carefully the outline of Sacred history. Look up 
the central thoughts of the Biblical books in Part I. and II., lessons 
1-17, and compare them with the outline in this lesson. State your con- 
clusions in writing. 



92 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 19. 
THE CREATION AND FALL OF MAN. 

1. The Creation. The world is not eternal; it was 
created of nothing, by the almighty power of God. It was 
God's will that there should be creatures which might be 
blessed in the fullness of His love and mercy. 

2. The Destiny of Man. Man is the crowning work 
of creation. Created in the image of God, he was called to 
subdue the earth and to "have dominion over every living 
thing that moveth upon the earth." For this reason, God 
equipped man with all the powers and faculties necessary to 
fulfill this great task. 

3. The Fall of Man. God, however, did not compel 
man to carry out the task for which he was created and qual- 
ified. It was to be a voluntary act on the part of man. In his 
obedience to God man was to destine himself to the purpose 
for which God had destined him. The test of this determina- 
tion of his own destiny came when Satan tempted man. In 
this test man failed, and thus sin came to have dominion and 
power over him. 

4. Results of the Fall. Man had now, "through the 
instigation of the devil, by wilful disobedience" deprived him- 
self of his power, and so voluntarily came under the mas- 
tery of sin. This is the reason why the salvation and redemp- 
tion of man is necessary. 

Yet God in his mercy had from eternity planned to redeem 
fallen man in Christ. This is the reason why man's salvation 
is possible. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 93 

Therefore, after man's fall, this eternal plan of God forth- 
with became operative in history by means of the Promise that 
the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. 

OUTLINE. 





The Creation and Fall of Man. 


I. 


The Creation: 




1. Creation of heaven and earth. (Gen. 1.) 




2. Creation of man. (Gen. 1 and 2.) 


II. 


The Destiny of Man: 




1. Man created in the image of God. (Gen. 1 .27.) 




2. Man's duties. (Gen. 1 :26, 28.) 


III. 


The Fall of Man: 




1. The test— God's law. (Gen. 2:16, 17.) 




2. The temptation — Serpent. (Gen. 3:1-5.) 




3. The fall. (Gen. 3 :6.) 


IV. 


The Results of the Fall: 




1. The seared conscience. (Gen. 3:7, 8.) 




2. The tempter cursed. (Gen. 3:14.) 




3. The first promise. (Gen. 3:15.) 




4. Man's sentence. (Gen. 3:16-24.) 


V. 


Chief Characters: 




Adam and Eve. 



QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Read Gen. 1 and 2 and relate in your own words the story of the 
creation of heavert and earth, and the creation of man. 

Why is man called the crowning work of the creation? 

Read Gen. 2:20 and note: 1. How man received the faculty of 
speech; 2. How distinctly the Bible emphasizes the difference between 
the nature of man and the animal nature. 

What was God's object and purpose in forbidding man to eat 
of the tree of knowledge? 

How did man come under the dominion of sin? 

In what respect is the record of mans' fall ,the basis of the whole 
sacred history? 

In what manner did God's plan of salvation first become operative ? 



94 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 20. 
THE PREPARATION OF MAN'S SALVATION. 

I. Period: Adam to Moses. 

1. Since man by wilful disobedience, that is an act of his 
own, voluntary choice, came under the mastery of sin, there- 
fore salvation could not be forced upon him. Man's redemp- 
tion could not follow immediately after the fall, because man 
must first be prepared for this salvation. He must first be 
brought to a realization of his sin and misery and to a yearning 
and desire for salvation. 

2. The Disastrous Consequences of Man's Sin soon 
became evident. Adam's first son, Cain, slew his brother Abel. 
And as men began to multiply on the earth, their wickedness 
increased. Though God earnestly warned them, yet they 
heeded neither his warnings nor his threats, and refused to be 
chastised by the Spirit of the Lord God. 

3. That God is not Indifferent concerning man's sin is 
seen in His judgment — the flood. In this terrible judgment of 
God, Noah alone found grace in the eyes of the Lord ; and he 
with his family was saved in the ark. Unto him, also, God re- 
newed the promise, and made a covenant with him, as a token 
of which He set His "bow in the clouds." 

4. With Noah, a new epoch of sacred history began. Its 
beginning is marked by Noah's sacrifice on the one hand and 
God's promise on the other. Noah's sacrifice was both a con- 
fession of sin and a confession of the hope of salvation. God's 
answer to this confession was the promise: "I will not again 
curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagina- 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 95 

tion of man's heart is evil from his youth. — While the earth 
remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and sum- 
mer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Gen. 
8:21-22.) 

5. But this new course of development was also inter- 
rupted by the. depravity of men. In their impudent defiance 
of God, they began to build the Tower of Babel, thus again 
provoking God to judgment. This judgment came speedily. 
God confounded their language and scattered them abroad 
upon the face of the earth. This occurrence marks the begin- 
ning of paganism, or heathenism. Yet God does not lose 
sight of those nations which obstinately walk according to their 
own depraved will. Sacred history shows this in the genealogi- 
cal record of the nations, given in Gen. 10. 

6. In spite of man's depravity, God does not give up his 
plan of salvation. Therefore He chose Abraham, commanded 
him to leave his country and kindred, gave him the promise, 
and made a covenant with him, that in the seed of Abraham 
all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Thereby God 
opened the way of salvation for all men — the path of faith; 
for this reason Abraham is also called the father of all them 
that believe, because he believed God, and God counted it to 
him for righteousness. 

7. When Abraham was 100 years old, the promised son, 
Isaac, was born unto him. As a trial of his faith in God's 
promises, Abraham was requested to offer Isaac as a sacrifice 
to God. Abraham obeyed, yet in the last moment God stayed 
his hand. Instead of Isaac, Abraham then offered a ram as a 
burnt offering, and the Lord most solemnly renewed unto 
him all His promises. 

8. After Abraham's death, Isaac became the bearer of 
the promise. Isaac was a quiet man, a man of prayer and 
patient endurance. Contrary to God's will, he tried to confer 



96 BIBLE MANUAL. 

the promise upon his son Esau; this plan was frustrated by his 
wife, and Jacob received the promise. 

9. Because Jacob had used corrupt means to obtain the 
promise, he must needs be purified before he could indeed re- 
ceive the promise from God. Not until he had been trained by 
God in the school of adversity, did he, by spiritual means, 
obtain the promise from God. Jacob, the " supplanter " became 
Israel, the "wrestler with God." 

The importance of the history of Isaac and Jacob lies in 
the fact that this history reveals in a most remarkable manner : 
1st, how God carries out and accomplishes his divine plan, 
even though men walk in their own sinful ways ; 2nd, that God 
is especially rigid in dealing with the sins of his chosen ones. 
Men are ofttimes punished by that in which they themselves 
have sinned. . 

10. This epoch of sacred history closes with the story of 
Joseph. The history of Joseph is one of the grandest revela- 
tions of God's wonderful control of the destinies of men. Di- 
vine guidance is clearly seen in Joseph's life. Brought into 
Egypt as a slave, he there became a prince and the saviour of 
his people. Jacob, with his whole family, came to Joseph in 
Egypt. Here Jacob died, after having given the promise of 
the coming Messiah to his son Judah, thereby showing his 
staunch faith in the promises of God. The descendants of 
Jacob remained in Egypt longer than 400 years; for it was 
God's plan, that here the house of Israel {the family) should 
develop into the people of Israel — into a nation. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 97 



OUTLINE. I. PERIOD. 



I. 


Adam to Noah: 




1. 


Cain and Abel. 




2. 


The descendants of Seth. 


II. 


Noah to Abraham: 




1. 


Increasing wickedness of man. 




2. 


God's judgment: the flood. 




3. 


God's covenant with Noah — rainbow. 




4. 


Tower of Babel, confusion of tongues, dispersion. 


III. 


Abraham to Moses: 




1. 


The call of Abraham; God's promise. 
OL Journeys of Abraham. 

b. Melchizedek; Lot. 

c. Sodom and Gomorrah. 

d. Hagar and Ishmael. 




2. 


Isaac's birth and offering, and the renewal of the 
promise. 




3. 


Isaac and his sons, Jacob and Esau. 




4. 


Jacob's history. 

a. Journeyings ; Bethel. 

b. Jacob with Laban. 

c. Jacob's wrestling with God; Peniel. 




5. 


Joseph's history. 

a. Joseph's dreams. , 

b. Sold into Egypt. 

c. Joseph and Pharaoh. 

d. Joseph and his brethren. 




6. 


Israel journeys into Egypt. 



98 BIBLE MANUAL. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Why could man's redemption not take place immediately after 
the fall? 

What does the history of Cain and Abel teach? 

What is taught by God's judgment in the flood? 

With what man did the new epoch of development in God's king- 
dom begin? 

What was the token of God's covenant with Noah? 

How was this new covenant broken? 

What does the genealogy in Gen. 10 teach us? 

Why is Abraham called "the father of all that believe" ? 

Wherein lies the importance of the history of Isaac and Jacob? 

Why did God allow the descendants of Jacob to sojourn in Egypt? 

Mention five examples in this period which show what God did to 
prepare the salvation of man. 

Complete the outline of this lesson by inserting the proper Bible 
references as in the outline in the previous lesson. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 99 

Lesson 21. 

THE PREPARATION OF MAN'S SALVATION. 

II. Period: From Moses to Saul. 

1. Increase of the Children of Israel. The descend- 
ants of Jacob had come into Egypt under the most favorable 
circumstances. In Egypt the family of Jacob (70 souls) de- 
veloped into a mighty nation of about two and one-half mil- 
lion souls, of which at least 600,000 were men of war. Agri- 
culture and industrial pursuits put an end to the nomadic life 
which they had thus far been leading. Then, too, the Israelites 
had ample opportunity to acquaint themselves with Egyptian 
culture and civilization. Hence Israel's sojourn in Egypt was 
of the greatest importance for the nation of Israel. 

2. Israel's Oppression. The rapid increase of the Israel- 
ites caused apprehension among the Egyptians, that it might 
prove a menace for them. And when in the course of time 
a new king arose, who knew naught of Joseph, the children 
of Israel were sorely oppressed. But the harder they were 
oppressed, the more they increased. Then the king commanded 
that all new-born male children of the Israelites should be cast 
into the water. 

3. The Birth and Calling of Moses. At that time, 
Moses was born. By God's providence he was rescued from 
death by the daughter of Pharoah, and lived at the king's 
court. For forty years he was instructed in all the wisdom 
of the Egyptians. Then "by faith, Moses refused to be called 
the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer afflic- 
tion with the people of God." But when he, in head-strong 
zeal, came forward as the avenger of his people, he was forced 
to flee from before Pharoah into the wilderness of Midian. 



100 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Here he remained forty years. Then the Lord appeared unto 
him at Mount Horeb in a burning bush, and called him to be 
the leader and deliverer of Israel. 

4. The Plagues of Egypt. In the name of Jehovah, 
Moses stood before Pharaoh and demanded the release of 
Israel. But Pharaoh hardened his heart and drew upon him- 
self God's judgments, the ten plagues. At last, when the tenth 
plague came, the slaying of the firstborn of Egypt, the chil- 
dren of Israel were fairly driven out of the land. The Israel- 
ites took with them, the bones of Joseph. God ordained the 
Passover as the perpetual memorial of this deliverance out of 
Egypt. 

5. Crossing the Red Sea. By God's command, the 
Israelites did not take the customary route to Canaan. The 
Lord went before them, leading them by a pillar of a cloud 
by day and a pillar of fire by night. When they came to the 
Red Sea, the Lord led them through the midst of the sea upon 
dry ground, but the pursuing Egyptians perished in the sea. 
Then Israel journeyed along the eastern coast of the Red Sea 
unto Mount Sinai. 

6. The Giving of the Law. Israel's sojourn at Mount 
Sinai marks the beginning of another epoch of sacred history. 
The covenant of God, which until now had been a covenant of 
promise, became the covenant of law, when God gave his law 
to the people. This giving of the law was a consecration of 
the people, by which Israel became God's chosen people above 
all nations. For this reason the sojourn at Sinai is one of the 
most important items of sacred history. Furthermore, at Sinai 
the Israelite form of worship was definitely fixed. (Taber- 
nacle, priesthood, sacrifices, feasts, ceremonial laws.) 

7. Journey in the Wilderness. At the beginning of 
the second year after the exodus, Israel came to the boundary 
of Canaan. Discouraged by the greatly exaggerated reports 
of the spies, the unbelieving people refused to enter the prom- 






CHRJR|N OF ISRAEL 
EGYPT TO CMAAM. 



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102 BIBLE MANUAL. 

ised land. Therefore God punished them by compelling them 
to wander in the wilderness for thirty-eight years until all 
that were twenty years old and upward when they left Egypt, 
had died. Only Joshua and Caleb were spared. Yet in all 
these years God did not forsake his people. He gave them 
"Manna" to eat and water out of the rock to drink, though 
the people continually rebelled against the Lord and his serv- 
ant Moses. 

8. The Death of Moses. At last the people came into 
the country east of Jordan and took possession of it. Here 
according to the word of the Lord, Moses was to die. So he 
once more solemnly impressed upon the people the law of God, 
and consecrated Joshua to be his successor. Then he went up 
into Mount Nebo, and after beholding the promised land, died 
"at the mouth of Jehovah," and God buried him ; but no man 
knoweth his sepulchre unto this day. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Why did Israel have to dwell so long in Egypt? 

What value did this sojourn in Egypt have for them? 

Why were the Israelites oppressed by Pharoah? 

What was the result of the oppression? 

What significance did the stay at Pharoah's court have for Moses? 

How did God call him to be the leader of Israel? 

How is it made evident in this portion of sacred history, that God 
Himself was the deliverer and leader of Israel? 

What is the significance of the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai? 

What was the cause of the long journeying in the wilderness? 

Follow the route of the childen of Israel on the map. Locate 
the following places and mention the special acts of God done there : 
Red Sea, Mara, Rephidim, Kadesh Barnea. 

Mention the acts of God in connection with the following names : 
Miriam, Korah, Balaam. 

Name two battles which were fought by the Israelites, and find 
the places on the map. 

Write a short composition on the topic : "Moses, the leader of the 
Israelites." 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 103 

Lesson 22. 
THE PREPARATION OF MAN'S SALVATION. 

II. Period: Continued. 

9. Entry into Canaan. The unbelieving generation of 
the Israelites had perished in the wilderness, and a new genera- 
tion had taken its place. Under the leadership of Joshua 
this generation now entered into Canaan after God had in a 
mircaculous manner prepared the way through the Jordan for 
them. 

10. Jericho and Ai. Jericho, the strongest and most 
important city of the new land, was captured in a manner 
specifically ordered by God. By the trespass of Achan, how- 
ever, Israel came under the curse. Not until the accursed 
thing had been removed, could they capture the city of Ai. 
Intimidated by these victories of Israel, the Gibeonites by 
craft and fraud, obtained a league with Israel ; but they were 
condemned to perpetual bondage, "to be hewers of wood and 
drawers of water for the congregation." 

11. Conquest of Canaan. The victorious advance of 
Joshua could not be checked. The enemies fell before the 
sword of Israel because the Lord fought for his people. In 
about seven years the whole land of Canaan had been subdued. 

12. Division of the Land — Joshua's Death. After the 
conquest of Canaan the Lord commanded Joshua to divide the 
territory by lot among the tribes of Israel. When this had 
been done, Joshua called all the people together, exhorted them 
to remain faithful unto the Lord and renewed the covenant. 
Soon after, he died, being 110 years old. 



104 BIBLE MANUAL. 

13. The Time of the Judges. All the conditions were 
now most favorable for Israel and for the prosperous develop- 
ment of its national life. Israel now had a fruitful land, a re- 
ligion, a system of government and a sanctuary. But after a 
while another generation arose which knew not the Lord, and 
soon they forsook the Lord and worshipped idols. Such 
apostasy brought upon them God's judgment and punishment. 
Yet the Lord forsook them not, but ever and anon raised up 
Judges, which delivered the people out of the hand of the ene- 
mies that spoiled them. The most important of these judges 
were: Gideon, Deborah, Jephthah, Samson, Eli and Samuel. 

14. Samuel. Among the judges of Israel Samuel is the 
most important. With him God introduced two new elements 
into Israel, prophecy and the kingdom. Samuel was not only 
judge, but also prophet. The most important events during 
Samuel's time are : God's calling of Samuel when he was yet 
a child; Samuel's great work of reformation at Mizpeh; the 
choice of a king; the anointing of David. 

The introduction of prophecy was especially important 
for Israel. For the greatest temptation of Israel's kings lay 
in the desire to imitate the kings of the heathen nations. God 
opposed this desire by His word, which He proclaimed by the 
mouth of the prophets. But most of the kings heeded not 
these messages of God. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 105 

OUTLINE II. PERIOD. 





From Moses to King Saul. 


I. Moses and the Journey to Canaan. 


1. 


Israel in Egypt. 




a. Increase of the people. 




b. Oppression. 


2. 


The Exodus. 




a. The birth and call of Moses. 




b. The plagues. 




c. Passover and exodus. 




d. Crossing the Red Sea. 




e. Journey to Sinai. 


3. 


From Sinai to Canaan. 




a. Giving of the Law. 




b. The golden calf. 




c. The Israelitish worship. 




(1) Tabernacle. 




(2) Priesthood. 




(3) Sacrifices. 




(4) Feasts. 




d. Journeys in the wilderness. 




(1) Spies. 




(2) Korah. 




(3) Aaron's death. 




(4) Brazen serpent. 




(5) Balaam. 


4. 


Moses' Death. 


II. Joshua: The Conquest of Canaan. 


1. 


Crossing the Jordan. 


2. 


Jericho and Ai. 


3. 


Conquest and devision of the land. 


4. 


Renewal of the covenant. Joshua's death. 


III. The 


Time of the Judges. 


1. 


Gideon, Deborah, Jephthah, Samson, Eli. 


2. 


Samuel — judge and prophet. 




a. Reformation. 




b. Prophecy. 




c. Founding of the kingdom. 



106 BIBLE MANUAL. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Who became Israel's leader after the death of Moses? 
In what manner did God open the way into the land for the people ? 
Describe the capture of Jericho. 

Give a reason why Jericho was captured in such peculiar manner. 
What was the trespass af Achan? 

Why were the nations of Canaan unable to withstand Joshua? 
Describe the condition of Israel during the time of the judges. 
Relate briefly the story of Gideon, Samson and Jephthah. 
Why is Samuel called the most important of the judges? 
What new form of government was introduced under the direc- 
tion of Samuel? 

Complete the outline by inserting the proper Bible references. 

Note — The events recorded in the book of Ruth occurred during 
this time of the judges. The story of Ruth, one of the most beautiful 
in the Old Testament, is an important part of sacred history, because 
Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestress of Jesus 
Christ, came into the chosen lineage from a heathen nation, thus testi- 
fying that all the nations of the earth are blessed in the seed of 
Abraham, as God has promised. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 107 

Lesson 23. 

THE PREPARATION OF MAN'S SALVATION. 

III. Period: From Saul to the Babylonian Captivity. 

1. Saul the First King of Israel. The sons of Samuel 
walked not in his ways, but took bribes and perverted judg- 
ment. Then the people became dissatisfied and demanded of 
Samuel that he set a king over them like the nations round 
about them had. In accordance with the directions of the 
Lord Samuel granted this request of the people and anointed 
Saul, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be king 
over Israel. For a time Saul reigned well. But after a few 
years he became haughty and disobedient unto the Lord. Then 
the Lord rejected Saul. Saul reigned forty years over Israel. 
At last, in a battle with the Philistines he ended his life by 
committing suicide. 

2. David. While Saul was yet alive, God commanded 
Samuel to anoint David to be king over Israel. David was the 
youngest son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. At the court of 
Saul David became connected with the king himself. The 
king's daughter became his wife, and Jonathan, the king's 
son, became David's best friend. In the battle with Goliath, the 
champion of the Philistines, David proved his faith in God 
and his zeal for the honor of the Lord. But David's success 
roused the hatred and envy of Saul, and David was forced to 

'flee before Saul. 

3. Not until the death of Saul did David become king. 
Then for a period of seven years he reigned over the tribe 
of Judah only; afterward (thirty-three years) over all Israel. 
His reign is remarkable on account of the victories he won 



108 BIBLE MANUAL. 

over his enemies (his kingdom extended from Egypt to the 
Euphrates river) and on account his ordinances in respect to 
the religious life of the Israelites. His inspired psalms formed 
an essential part of the religious worship and service which he 
introduced. 

4. Yet David also sinned grievously against God. But 
he bitterly and sincerely repented, and God forgave him his 
sin. 

5. The importance of David, however, lies in the fact 
that he was an ancestor and a type of Christ. Unto him 
was given the promise of the Messiah, and from the time of 
David the prophets speak of Christ as the Son of David. 

6. Solomon. Shortly before his death, David had his 
son Solomon anointed king over Israel. Solomon's prayer 
for an understanding heart pleased God greatly, and He gave 
him great wisdom, and great riches. The fame of his wisdom 
and glory spread abroad into all countries. 

7. The Building of the Temple is the most important 
event in the history of Solomon. This temple was built ac- 
cording to the model of the tabernacle. It was erected on 
Mount Morijah, the place which had already been chosen 
and sanctified for this purpose. At the dedication service the 
glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud and filled the "House 
of the Lord." 

8. During Solomon's reign Israel reached the height of 
its national glory and power. But Solomon also laid the foun- 
dation for the ultimate destruction of the nation. His in- 
fatuation for his many heathen wives led him to build altars 
unto their gods, and thus again introduce idolatry among the 
people of Israel. As a punishment for this sin the Lord an- 
nounced to him that his kingdom should be divided in the 
reign of his son. Solomon died after he had reigned forty 
years over Israel. 




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110 BIBLE MANUAL. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What prompted Israel to demand a king? 

Why was this demand an ungodly request? 

Read I. Sam. 8 to 12 and note carefully that though the Lord gives 
the people a king, yet he gives them a king according to the desire 
of their heart. Saul was a king after the heart of the people, but 
not after the heart of God. 

Read I. Sam. 15, 16, and state the particular reasons for Saul's 
rejection. 

Write a short characterization of Saul. 

By what heroic deed did David arouse the envy and hatred of 
Saul? What was the result? 

In what respects did the reign of David excel? 

Wherein lies the great importance of David? 

Can you mention some particulars in which David is shown to 
be a type of Chirst? 

What promise did David receive of God? 

Name three things in which Solomon distinguished himself. 

What is the most important event of Solomon's reign? 

Read the description of the building of the temple. What was in 
the ark of the covenant? What was no longer in the ark of the 
covenant, although it had been there at the time of Moses? 

How did Solomon lead the way to the destruction of his kingdom? 

What punishment was prophesied? 

Mention one or two events in the histories of Saul, David and 
Solomon, in which the activity of God is especially noticeable. 

Note carefully by what standard the Bible judges these men. 
What is this standard? 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY 111 

Lesson 24. 
THE PREPARATION OF MAN'S SALVATION 

III. Period: Continued 

9. Through the victories of David Israel had risen to the 
height of its power, and in the building of the temple the Old 
Testament form of worship had received its fullest develop- 
ment. But instead of maintaining this high station, the peo- 
ple, through the fault of their rulers, proceeded to work out 
their own destruction. It was Solomon, the great and wise 
king, who started the nation on the downward path by erect- 
ing altars to the idols of his wives. 

10. Division of the Kingdom. At the beginning of the 
reign of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the predicted divi- 
sion of the kingdom came to pass. In a haughty manner and 
with harsh words Rehoboam refused to grant a just demand 
of the people. This enraged the people, so that the ten north- 
ern tribes of Israel rebelled against Rehoboam and chose Jero- 
boam for their king. Thus Israel was divided into two king- 
doms, the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. 

11. The Northern Kingdom, or Kingdom of Israel. 

The very first king of this kingdom, Jeroboam, forsook the 
Lord and introduced idolatry. He erected -two idols — a golden 
calf at Bethel, and another golden calf at Dan — thinking that 
he would thereby establish his kingdom. And all of the nine- 
teen kings of this kingdom of the ten tribes, followed the bad 
example of Jeroboam. God did not fail to warn the kings 
and the people by the earnest preaching of His prophets, and 
often chastised them with adversity, but Israel stubbornly re- 
fused to mend its ways, and so at last the judgment came 



112 BIBLE MANUAL. 

according to the word of the Lord. Shalmaneser, king of 
Assyria, warred against Israel, and led the people away cap- 
tive into Assyria. The king also sent heathen people into the 
land of Israel, to dwell in the cities. These heathens soon 
mingled with the Israelites that had been left in the land, and 
thus originated the Samaritans. The most important kings of 
the northern kingdom were : Jeroboam, Ahab, and Jehu. This 
kingdom endured for about 253 years. 

12. The Kingdom of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. 
This kingdom was saved from ruin for a longer time than the 
northern kingdom because it had a religious support in the 
temple with its Priests and Levites. Then, too, among the 
number of its kings there were some devout and godfearing 
men, who walked in the ways of the Lord. The most import- 
ant of these devout kings were Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah 
and Josiah. The majority of the kings, however, were wicked, 
and forsook the Lord. Alias and Manassch were the most 
godless. (There is a tradition that during the persecution in 
Manasseh's reign the prophet Isaiah was sawn asunder.) 

But because the kingdom of Judah would not heed God's 
warnings and chastisements, the people were led into the 
Babylonian captivity, as the prophets had predicted. King 
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city of Jerusalem, burned the 
temple and led the people captive unto Babylon. Only a few 
Jews, of the common people, did he leave in the land. The 
kingdom of Judah endured for 387 years. 

13. The Prophets. As we have already learned, Samuel 
constituted the order of prophets in Israel. In David's time, 
Nahum and Gad are mentioned as prophets. During the 
reigns of the later kings God used the prophets as his special 
messengers to the people, to warn and to admonish them. 
Hence the prophets play an important part in the history of 
Israel. The most important of the prophets that labored in 
the kingdom of Israel are Elijah, Elisha, Obadiah, Jonah, Rosea 



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114 BIBLE MANUAL. 

and Amos; of those that labored in the kingdom of Judah, 
Isaiah, Micah, Joel, Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Jeremiah are 
the most important. 

The work of these prophets was partly censure of the peo- 
ple's apostasy, partly the threatening prediction of God's judg- 
ment and punishment. But God's covenant is eternal, there- 
fore the prophets never failed to mention the salvation that 
was to follow the chastisement. And in the course of the 
years the prophecies of the coming saviour became more and 
more distinct; indeed they form the principal subject of Old 
Testament prophecy. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 115 

OUTLINE OF III PERIOD. 

From Saul to the Babylonian Captivity. 

I. The United Kingdom. 

1. Saul: Founding of the kingdom. 

a. Election. 

b. Rejection. 

c. Persecution of David. 

2. David: The kingdom extended and established. 

a. David's anointing and time of probation. 

b. His reign over the tribe of Judah. 

c. King over all Israel. 

d. Wars and victories. 

e. David's religious ordinances. 
/. David's sin and repentance. 
g. The results of his sin. 
h. The importance of David. 

3. Solomon: Old Testament worship at its height. 

a. Solomon's wisdom, riches and power. 

b. The building of the temple. 

c. Solomon's sin. 

II. The Divided Kingdom. 

1. Rehoboam: The division of the kingdom. 

2. The kingdom of Israel. 

a. Apostasy and idolatry. 

b. Most important kings. 

c. Character of the kings. 

d. Elijah and Elisha. 

e. Destruction of the kingdom. 

3. The kingdom of Judah. 

a. Character of the kings. 

b. The most important of the devout kings. 

c. The prophets. 

d. Destruction of the kingdom. 



116 BIBLE MANUAL. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Note carefully that the Bible in its history of the kings of Israel 
judges these kings according to the standard of their obedience to God. 
Does this suggest to you a reason why the history of Saul, David, 
Solomon, Ahab, Hezekiah and others is given in detail, and that of 
others is not? 

Read the history of Ahab. In your opinion, who is the chief 
character in this history, Ahab or Elijah? Give a reason for your 
opinion. 

Write short compositions on the following topics : 

David, the man according to the heart of God. 

The Temple of Solomon. 

The history of the kingdom of Judah, as an illustration of the 
truth that righteousness exalteth a nation. 

The history of Israel as an illustration of the truth that sin is 
a reproach to any people. 

Complete the outline by inserting the proper Bible references. 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 117 

Lesson 25. 

THE PREPARATION OF MAN'S SALVATION. 

IV. Period: From the Babylonian Captivity to the Birth 

of Christ. 

1. The Time of Captivity had not only been foretold by 
the prophets as a judgment of God, but its duration had also 
been foretold. This captivity was to last for seventy years, and 
it proved a time of salutary probation for the Jews. During 
this time, also, God sent forth prophets to the people, and, 
with mighty voices, they called them to repentance, and com- 
forted them with the precious promise of the coming Saviour. 
The results soon became evident. The ordinances of the laze 
were observed with scrupulous care, and the better-minded of 
the people yearned for deliverance ; a great yearning for Jeru- 
salem took possession of them. 

The most important prophets of this period are Ezekiel 
and Daniel. 

2. The Return from Exile. T he end of the captivity 
came as it had been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah. During 
the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia, the Jews were permitted to 
return to their own country. In the year B. C. 536, 42,000 
Jews returned home to Palestine. Their first act after coming 
to Jerusalem was to begin the rebuilding of the temple. This 
work progressed slowly, owing to the many hindrances and ob- 
stacles, but at length it was completed. 

3. Esra and Nehemiah. Two men of this period stand 
forth most prominently, especially on account of their work of 
reformation and reconstruction. Esra, the scribe, instructed 
the people in the Law of God, and saw to the enforcement of 



118 BIBLE MANUAL. 

- 
this law. Nehemiah, the governor, labored chiefly for the res- 
toration of the Jewish state, especially by the rebuilding of 
Jerusalem. These two men may be considered the founders of 
Judaism, with its rigid legalism. 

4. The Jews in the Dispersion. Not all Jews returned 
to Palestine, yet they all stood under the protection of God. 
The book of Esther records God's marvelous protection of 
these dispersed Jews. They too had a work to do in the plan 
of God. It was through them, scattered abroad among the 
nations, that the knowledge of the only true God was spread 
more effectively among the heathens than would have been 
possible had they all returned to Palestine. 

5. Subsequent History of the Jews to the Time of 
Christ. As long as the Jews were under the jurisdiction of 
the Persians, they enjoyed peace and were prosperous. After- 
ward they became subject, first to Egypt, then to Syria. Then 
too, they as a rule, enjoyed protection and peace. Their own 
government lay in the hands of the Sanhedrin, a council com- 
posed of 70 members, priests and scribes. But in the 2nd 
century B. C. came the terrible persecution of which Daniel 
had prophesied. The Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes sought 
to force idolatry upon the Jews, profaned the temple, plundered 
Jerusalem and deported many of its inhabitants. Then many 
Jews renounced their faith. But Mattathias, an aged priest, 
gathered a party and tore down the altars of the idols. A 
national uprising followed. Matthathias' son, Judas Macca- 
baeus (hence the name "Maccabees"), succeeded in organizing 
an army and driving out the Syrians and restoring the temple 
and its worship. His brother Simon forced the Syrian king 
to recognize the independence of Judaea. The people con- 
ferred upon him and his family the hereditary office of Priest- 
Prince as a token of gratitude. But the later Maccabees lacked 
the glowing faith and zeal for the law which characterized their 
fathers. Their history is a continuous record of bloody fam- 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 119 

ily feuds, until the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem 
and brought the Jews under the rule and power of the Romans. 
The Romans appointed the Idumean Antipater procuator of 
Judaea. His son Herod succeeded him, and was made king 
over the whole of Palestine. This is that king Herod during 
whose reign Christ was born. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

How long, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, was the cap- 
tivity of the Jews to last? 

What were the wholesome effects of this captivity upon the Jews? 

Who were the chief prophets of this period? 

During the reign of what king did the Jews return to Palestine? 

In what way can Esra and Nehemiah be considered the founders 
of Judaism? 

What task were the Jews of the dispersion to perform according 
to God's plan? 

Give a short review of the subsequent history of the Jews. 

Read again the contents of this lesson and compare it carefully 
with the biblical records. 

Note — a. How the prophecies of the prophets were literally 
fulfilled. 

b. How the governing power of God is revealed in this history 
of Judah. 

c. How the attitude of the people is changed in respect to the 
observance of the law and the expectation of a Saviour. 

d. Compare this with the results of our previous lessons re- 
garding the preparation of man's salvation. 



120 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 26. 

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE MESSIANIC 
PROPHECIES. 

1. We have already learned that the prophets played an impor- 

tant part in the history of Israel. We also learned 
that many of their prophecies were fulfilled in the 
subsequent history of the nation. But the most im- 
portant of all the prophecies of the Old Testament are 
those which pertain to the coming of the Messiah 
(that is Christ), the Saviour. A short summary of 
these prophecies is a great aid in understanding the 
Scriptures. 

2. In the following summary, only the most important of the 

Messianic prophecies are mentioned. They are 
grouped according to their contents. The student, of 
course, is expected to look up the passages indicated 
and to study them carefully. 

a. The Messiah will be a descendant of David. Isa. 11 :1, 

2, "A rod out of the stem of Jesse," etc. Jer. 23 :5, 
"I will raise unto David a righteous branch," etc. 
Ezek., 34 :23, The true shepherd. 

b. The Messiah will be the eternal Son of God. Ps. 2:7; 

Ps. 89:28; Ps. 110:1; Isa. 9;6-7, "Unto us a 
child is born," etc.; Dan. 7:13-14; Jer. 23:6. 

c. The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the son of a 

virgin. Isa. 7:14; Micah 5:1. 

d. The Messiah will go forth from Galilee. Isa. 9:1-2; 

(Land of Zebulim and Naphtali.) 



OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 121 

e. The forerunner will prepare the way for the Messiah. 

Isa. 40:3; Mai. 3:1. 

f. The Messiah will come in humility. Zech. 9:9; Isa. 

52:14; Isa. 53:2-3. 

g. The ministry of the Messiah. Isa. 42:1; Isa. 61:1-2; 

Isa. 35:5-6; Isa. 49:4-6; Ps. 2:1-6. 

h. The Messiah will be betrayed and sold. Ps. 41:10; 
. Zech. 11:12-13. 

i. The Sufferings of the Messiah. Isa. 50 :6 ; Isa. 53 :3 ; 
53:7; 53:12; Ps. 22:2ff; Zech. 12:10; 13:7; Isa. 
53:4-5; Isa. 53:10-11; Isa. 43:24-25; Isa. 44:22; 
Zech, 13 :1 ; Isa. 61 :10; Jer. 23 :6. 

/. Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and the Out- 
pouring of the Holy Spirit. Isa. 53:10; Ps. 68:19; 
Ezek. 36:27; Zech. 12:10; Joel 3 ; Ps. 110:1. 

k. The Messiah is the only Saviour. Isa. 45 :22-24. 

/. The Messiah will administer a just judgment and cre- 
ate a new heaven and a new earth. Isa. 11:3-5; 
Isa. 65:17. 

m. The glory of the new covenant. Haggai 2:10; Ps. 
72:7. 

Though the Jews did not understand correctly all of 
these prophecies, but interpreted them according to 
their own carnal desires, nevertheless these prophecies 
were the means of arousing in them an expectation 
and a fervent, passionate yearning for the coming 
of this Messiah. 

Thus, in the course of the centuries, the salvation 
of man had been foreshadowed, typified, promised and 
prepared. The time had now come, when, according 



122 BIBLE MANUAL. 

. to God's divine and eternal plan, this salvation should 
appear in the Messiah. What reception the Messiah 
would receive, had also been foretold by the prophets. 
This, however, was not heeded by Israel. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Review the contents of Fart III. 
Name some special event in connection with the following names : 
Adam, Noah, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, Saul, David, Solo- 
mon, Jeroboam, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Esra. 

Memorize at least five of the prophecies mentioned in this lesson. 
Do not fail to make written notes of your study. 



PART FOUR. 
THE SACRED HISTORY. 

B. New Testament History. 

Lesson 27. 

REALIZATION AND CONSUMMATION OF MAN'S 
SALVATION. 

I. Salvation Obtained and Presented in the 
Person of Jesus Christ. 

1. The Fulness of Time. "In the fulness of time, God sent 
forth his Son," that is, when the time of preparation 
of man's salvation was over, when these preparations 
were completed. God had not only given men the 
promise of a Saviour, He had not only developed and 
typified this promise more and more clearly, but He 
had also, by His divine guidance and discipline, pre- 
pared mankind for the coming of this Saviour. 

a. The talents and abilities which God had given man had 
been developed in manifold manner. This had 
happened not by chance, but in accordance with the 
divine plan. On the one hand man needed to learn 
by his own experience, that it is impossible to work 
out his salvation by human wisdom and strength. 
On the other hand this development of man's abili- 
ties was to be an important factor in the extension 
of the kingdom of God. 

123 



124 BIBLE MANUAL. 

b. The civilized heathen nations had demonstrated most 

clearly, that all human achievements in culture, art, 
and science, are unable to give mankind full and 
complete satisfaction. Indeed the yearning for a 
saviour had become great among many of these 
cultured heathens. 

c. The people of Israel who also had for a long time tried 

to obtain salvation by their own endeavors, had 
now, by the chastisement of God, learned to look 
to God for this salvation, and many devout men, 
like Simeon, waited and longed anxiously for the 
coming of the promised Messiah. 

d. By the dispersion of the Jews the knowledge of the 

promise of God and of the hope of Israel had been 
brought to all the heathen nations. This had 
served to awaken a desire for the coming of this 
saviour. 

e. The whole of the ancient world at that time was sub- 

ject to Rome, and the Greek language had become 
the universal language of that age. These were im- 
portant factors in the rapid spreading of the gospel. 
So God had in his wonderful wisdom prepared 
all things, that the salvation of man might be de- 
veloped in its whole fulness. "The fulness of time" 
was at hand and the Lord of Glory appeared. 
2. The Person of the Saviour. In this fulness of time, 
God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, to carry 
out the work of salvation. The Son of God became 
flesh, and dwelt among men. He appeared on earth in 
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness 
of men and was found in fashion as a man. But in 
the man Jesus dwelleth all the fulness of the God- 
head bodily. He is the Christ, the Son of God and 
the Son of Man; he is true man and trite God. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 125 

3. The Task of the Saviour. This may be briefly outlined as 

follows : 

A. Being true and sinless man he must: 

a. Reveal in his life, the ideal manhood, "in true 

righteousness and holiness." 

b. By His sacrificial death, he, as the representa- 

tive of mankind, must take upon himself the 
punishment of sin, and thus make full satis- 
faction to the justice of God. 

B. Being true God He was able to bear the burden of 

God's wrath in His manhood, and to obtain for us 
righteousness and life, and to restore them to us 
by his spirit. 

4. The Record of the Work of the Saviour is contained in 

the Scriptures of the New Testament, especially in the 
four gospels. The following lessons will treat of this 
work more fully. 

QUESTIONS. 

In what manner had God prepared mankind for the coming of 
the Saviour ? 

What is the significance of the development of man's faculties 
and abilities? 

In what respect had the heathen nations been prepared for the 
coming of the Saviour? 

How had Israel been trained to long for the coming Messiah? 
How did the dispersion of the Jews serve to prepare the world 
for the coming of the Saviour? 

What is meant by the expression: "The fulness of time?" 

Who was the promised Saviour? 

What twofold task did he have as true and sinless man? 

Why must he at the same time be true God? 

Where is the record of the Saviour's work preserved for us? 



126 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 28. 
THE. LIFE OF CHRIST. 

The life of Christ may be divided into three periods: 

A. His preparation. 

B. His public ministry. 

C. His passion and resurrection. 

A. Preparation 

This period extends from the annunciation of His birth 
to His baptism by John. 

1. The Nativity. The birth of Christ was announced 
both to Mary and to Joseph who were both direct descendants 
of King David. Complying with the decree of Caesar Augus- 
tus "that all the world be taxed/' Joseph with his espoused 
wife Mary, journeyed to Bethlehem-. Here Jesus was born, 
wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The glad 
tidings of his birth was announced to the shepherds near Beth- 
lehem, by the mouth of the angel. When the child was eight 
days old, it was circumcised, according to Jewish law, and re- 
ceived the name of Jesus, that is "Saviour." After forty 
days he was presented in the temple, and the sacrifice w T as of- 
fered according to the law. After the wise men of the East 
had come to worship Him, Joseph was instructed by God to 
take Mary and Jesus into Egypt to escape the destruction 
planned by the murderous king Herod. After Herod's death 
God told them to return ; and they came and dwelt in Nazareth. 

2. Childhood of Jesus. The Bible records only one 
event of the childhood of Jesus — His visit to Jerusalem when 
he was twelve vears old. On this occasion he remained in 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 127 

Jerusalem after Joseph and Mary had started on their journey 
home. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting 
among the doctors, hearing them and asking them questions. 
At this time he spoke that momentous word : "Wist ye not that 
I must be about my Father's business?" Nothing more is re- 
corded of his childhood save that he was subject unto his 
parents and increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor 
with God and man. 

3. The Forerunner, John the Baptist. While Jesus 
was thus being prepared in quiet retirement, the forerunner, 
of whom the prophets had spoken, was also being prepared. 
This was John the Baptist, the son of Zacharias the priest. 
The angel Gabriel had announced both the birth and mission 
of John to his father Zacharias. Zacharias, doubting, de- 
manded a sign and was stricken dumb, until John was born. 
John was a Nazarene from the-4ime of his birth until he died. 
Grown to manhood, he appeared before the people as a prophet, 
and a preacher of repentance. His mission was two-fold : 

a. Announcement of the coming of the Messiah. 

b. Exhortation to repentance. 

Fearlessly and with a holy zeal, like the prophet Elijah, he 
fulfilled this mission and prepared the people for the coming 
of the Lord. Yet his ministry was of but short duration. The 
adulterous king Herod, having been rebuked by him, cast him 
into prison, and at the instigation of Herodias had him be- 
headed. Yet John's appearance and powerful preaching 
created a great sensation among the people. Nor did his death 
occur until his mission had been fulfilled. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Name the three periods of the life of Christ. 

Read the records of Jesus' birth and childhood in Matthew and in 
Luke, and note carefully : 



128 BIBLE MANUAL. 

a. The many appearances of angels. 

b. The two genealogical records. 

c. The various facts recorded. 
Where was Jesus born? 

What was the royal lineage of Joseph and Mary? 

Mention some facts of the childhood of Jesus, which show the 
particular or direct action of God. 

How does the Bible describe Jesus' development in Nazareth? 

Give a short history of the forerunner of Christ. 

What was the mission of John the Baptist? 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 129 

Lesson 29. 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST— Continued. 

B. Public Ministry. 

The four gospels deal particularly with the public min- 
istry of Jesus. An outline of this ministry must therefore 
summarize what all of the four gospels tell us about it. We 
must note especially, Jesus* acts, his teachings and the result 
of his ministry. 

1. The Duration of Jesus' Public Ministry was somewhat 

more than three years. His ministry began with his 
baptism by John. Jesus was then in the thirtieth year 
of his life. 

2. The Place of Jesus' Ministry. Jesus confined his min- 

istry almost entirely to the people of Israel, the chosen 
people, the people of the covenant. In only a few 
instances did he go beyond this limit. He ministered 
chiefly in the provinces Judaea and Galilee ; and there 
the vicinity of Jerusalem and the region about the 
sea of Galilee were the scenes of most of his deeds. 

3. The Manner of Jesus' Ministry. Jesus, after his bap- 

tism by John, first went into the wilderness, where he 
was tempted by the devil. After that he chose his 
disciples and journeyed with them from place to place, 
teaching the people, and doing marvelous signs and 
miracles. 

I. The Discourses of Jesus. 

These are especially important, because they are Jesus' 
own testimony concerning his person and his work, and be- 
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NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 131 

cause they reveal the entire plan of God for the salvation 
of man. 

a. Concerning His personality. Jesus not only declared 

that he is the promised Messiah, but also, and that 
most positively, that he was without sin. Most 
clearly, however, he claimed to be the only begotten 
Son of God. This he affirmed to the very last be- 
fore the whole Sanhedrin when adjured by the 
high priest. He claimed that he was the Saviour 
and Redeemer of the world. 

b. Concerning His work. Jesus described his work as 

the work of redemption. He declared that he had 
come to carry out the plan of God for the salvation 
of the world, and, as the true King of Israel, to 
establish the kingdom of God on earth. 

c. Concerning God. Declaring that he himself is the 

perfect revelation of God, Jesus taught: God is 
Spirit; God is our Father. 

d. Other teachings. In the most manifold manner Jesus 

taught the people in respect to the law, the wor- 
ship of God, virtuous life, prayer, charity, etc. 
This was done partly in lengthly discourses, partly 
in brief, sententious sayings. 

e. The maimer of Jesus' teaching was powerful and dif- 

fered greatly from that of the scribes. In his 
teaching he was wont to use the form of the para- 
ble. His parables of the kingdom of heaven, the 
good Samaritan and the prodigal son are especially 
noteworthy. 

II. The Miracles of Jesus. 

The miracles of Jesus were never wrought to create sen- 
sation or to satisfy curiosity. These miracles were "Signs," 



132 BIBLE MANUAL. 

the confirmation of his doctrine, the positive evidence of his 
divine authority to forgive sins, and the proof that he was 
the Saviour. They revealed not only his divine power, but 
also his tender love, his great sympathy and compassion. 

Concerning the miracles the following is to be noted : 

a. Most of the miracles were healings of the sick: The 

palsied man, the blind, the lepers, etc. 

b. Three were raising of the dead: Widow's son, Jairus' 

daughter, Lazarus. 

c. Great excitement was caused by Jesus' healing of the 

demoniacs, his casting out unclean spirits. 

d. Some miracles show in a remarkable way. Jesus' power 

over nature: Turning of water into wine, walking 
on the sea, stilling the storm, feeding the multitude. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What event marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus? 
How old was Jesus when he began his public ministry? 
How long did this ministry continue? 

Name some of the most important places of this public ministry 
and locate them on the map. 
State in a few words: 

a. What Jesus taught concerning himself. 

b. What Jesus taught concerning his work. 

What, in your opinion, is the most important doctrine concerning 
the person of Jesus? Give your reason for your answer. 

Read the sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5-7) and mention at least 
three teachings of Jesus contained therein. 

What can you say about the manner of the teaching of Jesus? 

What is the importance of the miracles of Jesus? 

Write a short composition on one of the following topics: 

a. Jesus, the great teacher. 

b. Jesus, the great physician. 

c. The miracles of Jesus. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 133 

Lesson 30. 

THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS— Continued. 

4. The Result. The miracles of Jesus as well as his 
powerful teaching, naturally soon caused a great sensation 
among the people. They were astonished and recognized that 
a great prophet had arisen among them — yet they did not 
recognize who he really was. 

The people, prompted by curiosity and the desire to see 
miracles followed Jesus in great multitudes, so that he was 
often compelled to withdraw from their obtrusiveness. His 
healing of the sick especially, aroused a great enthusiasm among 
'the people, and soon they began to consider the question, 
whether Jesus might not be the promised Messiah. His say- 
ings and teachings concerning the kingdom of God were in- 
terpreted by them in a carnal manner, and hence Jesus rose 
higher and higher in the favor of the worldly-minded multi- 
tude. In the second year of Jesus' public ministry, this en- 
thusiasm of the multitude reached its height. At the time 
of the feeding of the 5000 it was so great, that the people 
sought to make Jesus their King. 

This, however, was only one side of the result of Jesus' 
ministry. Jesus not only awakened enthusiasm, but also op- 
position, and that from the very beginning of his ministry. 
His sermons contained many severe criticisms and reproofs of 
the perverseness and unbelief of the people. And many of his 
hearers soon noticed, that Jesus' doctrine of the kingdom of 
God did not agree with their Messianic views. Thus. among 
the people was formed a party, which opposed Jesus. The 
most decided opponents of Jesus were the Pharisees and the 



134 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Elders of the people. These men, by their powerful influence, 
soon caused the opposition against Jesus to increase. 

The crisis came when (after the feeding of the multitude) 
Jesus refused to yield to the demand of the people clamoring 
for a worldly king. Then the enthusiasm of the people rapidly 
vanished and the opposition increased and developed into per- 
secution. His enemies waxed bolder and several times even 
tried to kill him. At last they determined upon the plot against 
his life, which at length was carried out and ended in his 
being crucified. 

As far as the people as a whole is considered, the ministry 
of Jesus resulted in his rejection by the people. This, how- 
ever, Jesus himself had repeatedly foretold. 

Yet not all of the people rejected Jesus. A small number 
of men and women believed in him and remained loyal to 
him. Among these believers, the disciples of Jesus were the 
most prominent. When the multitude turned away from him, 
Jesus devoted himself especially to these disciples by instruct- 
ing them concerning the deeper meaning of his life and works, 
and by strengthening their faith with special promises. To 
them also he gave the command to carry on his work after 
his death. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What was the first impression that the works of Jesus made upon 
the people? 

What question did this raise among them? 

What doctrine of Jesus emphasized this question particularly? 

What was the attitude of the elders of the people toward Jesus? 

At what time did the crisis come? 

Give a reason why Jesus was rejected by the people? 

What fact shows that, in spite of this rejection by the people, the 
ministry of Jesus was not a failure? 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 135 

Lesson 31. 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST— Continued. 

C. The Passion and Resurrection. 

About one-half of the gospels treats, of the passion, the 
sufferings and death of Jesus; and about one-third of the 
fourth gospel is a record of the events during the last twenty- 
four hours of Jesus' life. This shows clearly that this portion 
is the most important of the whole gospel. 

1. Anointing in Bethany. For the last time in his 
earthly ministry Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem at the time of the 
passover. Six days before the feast he arrived at Bethany. In 
Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, Mary, the sister of 
Lazarus, brought an alabaster box of very precious ointment, 
and anointed Jesus. When the disciples murmured at this, 
Jesus declared that this had been done against the day of his 
burial. Then Judas, the traitor, went to the chief priests and 
offered to betray Jesus to them, and they agreed to pay him 
thirty pieces of silver for his treachery. 

2. Entry into Jerusalem. The following day Jesus 
went to Jerusalem. Surrounded by a shouting multitude, 
Jesus triumphantly rode into the Holy City, thus publicly de- 
claring to all the world that he in truth was the Messiah, the 
King of Israel. 

On the following days Jesus delivered his last discourses 
to the people, in the presence of his bitter enemies, the scribes 
and Pharisees, rebuking them in the severest terms on account 
of their wickedness and hypocrisy. He also, for the second 
time, purged the temple, casting out them that sold therein and 
them that bought. 



13G BIBLE MANUAL. 

3. Institution of the Lord's Supper. On Thursday of 
this week, "in the night in which he was betrayed," Jesus in- 
stituted the Lord's Supper. Then followed his last discourse 
with his disciples and his great (high-priestly) prayer, 
John 17. 

4. Gethsemane. After this prayer, Jesus went with his 
disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. Here he, being in the 
terrible agony of death, prayed earnestly, his sweat falling to 
the ground as great drops of blood. His disciples were sleep- 
ing, but an angel from heaven came and strengthened him. 

5. The Arrest. Then came Judas, the traitor, leading a 
band of soldiers, and drew nigh to Jesus and kissed him, this 
being the sign agreed upon by them for the betrayal. After re- 
buking the rash interference of Peter, Jesus healed the servant 
of the high priest. Then he was captured by the soldiers and 
led away, but his disciples fled in terror. 

6. The Trial. The first trial of Jesus was held before 
the council of the Jews ; this was the ecclesiastical trial. First 
before H annas, then before Caiphas and then before the whole 
council, Jesus was accused of blasphemy, treated most shame- 
fully and condemned to death. The second trial of Jesus 
took place before Pilate, the judge in the civil court. Here 
he was accused of rebellion; and though the judge himself 
declared that no guilt was to be found in him, yet Jesus was 
condemned to be crucified. 

7. The Crucifixion. On Friday morning Jesus was led 
forth from the city to a place called Calvary, and there cruci- 
fied, together with two malefactors. Hanging on the cross, he 
spoke yet seven times. Then he died, and by his death finished 
the work of salvation for which he had come into this world. 

8. The Burial. Loving disciples took the body of Jesus 
from the cross, and laid it in a new sepulchre in the garden of 
Joseph of Arimathia. A stone was rolled before the entrance 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 137 

of the sepulchre and sealed. Then, at the request of the chief 
priests, soldiers were stationed before the sepulchre to guard 
ft- 

9. The Resurrection. No stone, no seal or guard, how- 
ever, could keep the Prince of Life in the grave. On Easter 
morning he burst the bands of death and triumphantly went 
forth from the grave. That same day he appeared unto Mary 
Magdalene and later unto the other disciples. The gos- 
pel mentions no fewer than ten such appearances. For forty 
days after his resurrection Jesus remained thus with his 
disciples, strengthening and teaching them. He commanded 
them to preach the gospel unto all nations and instituted the 
rite of Holy Baptism. 

10. The Ascension. After forty days Jesus led his 
disciples out to Bethany to the Mount of Olives. When he 
had again given them the promise of the Holy Ghost, he lifted 
up his hands and blessed them. Then, while they beheld him, 
he was taken up into heaven ; and a cloud received him out 
of their sight. Thus Jesus ascended into heaven where he now 
"sitteth on the right hand of God and whence he shall come 
again to judge the quick and the dead." 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Name the 10 most important events of the passion of Christ. 

What significance did Jesus attach to his anointing in Bethany? 

Describe the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What was the 
significance of this event? 

Describe Jesus' purging of the temple. 

When did Jesus institute the Lord's Supper? 

Of what does the word "Gethsemane" remind us? 

Mention the circumstances attending the arrest of Jesus. 

What trials did Jesus have to undergo? 



138 BIBLE MANUAL. 

What accusations were brought against him? 

What did Pilate declare concerning Jesus' guilt? 

What sentence was passed upon him? 

Why could Jesus say, when hanging on the cross : "It is finished?" 

By whom was Jesus buried? Where? 

In what manner did the enemies of Jesus assist in attesting and 
proving the fact of his resurrection? 

How long did Jesus remain with his disciples after his resur- 
rection ? 

Describe the ascension of Jesus. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 139 

OUTLINE OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 



I. The Period of Preparation. 






Descent 


' The Son of God. 

The Son of David 
'Parents. 

Place of birth. 


Childhood 


i 


Infancy 


Circumcision. 
Wise Men of the East. 
Flight into Egypt. 
^Return to Nazareth. 






Childhood 


Visit to the temple. 
Years in Nazareth. 






f "The kingdom of God is nigh !" 






The forerunner < "Repent ye !" 


Preparation 


- 


("Behold the Lamb of God!" 
Beginning f Baptism of Jesus. 

his J The voice from heaven, 
ministry (_The temptation. 


II. The Period of Public Ministry. 


1. Time :— 


-3 years. 


2. Place :- 


-Judaea, Galilee, Samaria, Perea. 






r f Concerning his person. 






j Concerning his work. 
Doctrine a. J Concerning God . 






(^ Concerning the Law. 


3. Manner 


- 


: __ , ( With authority, 
b. He taught j % parableSi 








a. They are "signs.* 








C Healing of the sick. 






Miracles -j u j Raising the dead. 








j Healing of the demoniacs. 








1 Power over nature. 






r Astonishment. 






Enthusiasm. 


4. Result : 


* 


Opposition. 
Persecution. 






L Faith. 







140 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



III. Passion and Resurrection 

1. Bethanv. 



2. March of Triumph. 



Anointed by Mary. 
Judas and the priests. 

Entry into Jerusalem. 
Cleansing of the temple. 
Conflict with the elders. 

Institution of the Lord's Supper. 

Agony. 

Betrayal. 

Arrest. 



4. Gethsemane. 



5. Trial. 



Ecclesiastical. 



Civil. 



{Accusation : Blasphemy. 
Sentence : Death. 
f Judge: Pilate. 
J Accusation : Rebellion, 
j Verdict : Not guilty. 
[_ Sentence : Crucifixion. 



6. Calvary. 

7. Burial. 

8. Resurrection. 

9. Ascension. 



"He bore his cross." 

"Counted among the malefactors. 

"It is finished." 



The stone removed from the grave. 
Appearances of the risen Lord. 

40 days after the resurrection. 
At Mount Olivet. 
The last commandment. 



Note — Study this outline carefully until you have a clear mental 
picture of the life of Christ. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 141 



Lesson 32. 

REALIZATION AND CONSUMMATION OF 
MAN'S SALVATION. 

II. Preaching of Salvation by the Apostles. 

The activity of Jesus by no means ceased when he ascended 
into heaven. Though he had obtained redemption for man- 
kind, and had brought to light the new life, yet it was neces- 
sary for him to impart this new life to mankind. This then 
is the second part of the work of Jesus, and this he carries 
out through his Holy Spirit by the preaching of the gospel, 
in and by his church. This part of the work Jesus is 
not yet finished, but is still in progress. The Bible tells us 
about the beginning of this work and also about its ultimate 
completion. 

A. Founding of the Christian Church. 

1. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The ascension 
of Jesus took place shortly before the feast of Pentecost. After 
the ascension the disciples remained in Jerusalem, all with 
one accord, as Jesus had commanded them. Now when the 
day of Pentecost came, there suddenly came a sound of a 
rushing mighty wind ; the Holy Ghost came upon the disciples, 
filling them with power from on high and with wonderful 
gifts. And immediately they began to preach in the name of 
the Lord. The apostle Peter especially preached a powerful 
sermon. The multitude of people who had come together, 
were stricken in their conscience by Peter's sermon, and 3000 
souls of them were that day baptized in the name of Jesus. 

2. The first Christian Church. Soon the number of 
believers increased to 5000, and this number increased daily. 



142 BIBLE MANUAL. 

The apostles preached with great power of the resurrection of 
Jesus, and wrought many signs and miracles. The new con- 
verts gave special heed to the- teachings of the apostles, to 
Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The miracles of the apostles, 
however, also aroused the opposition of the elders of the Jews ; 
and as the church and the number of believers grew larger, 
this opposition and persecution also increased. 

3. The Persecution of the Church. The persecution 
of the church reached its height, when not only the apostles, 
but even, the deacons, especially Stephen, testified of Jesus. 
This Stephen, a man of faith, filled with the Holy Ghost, was 
a powerful witness of Christ. The unbelieving Jews laid hands 
on him and brought him before the council of the chief priests. 
So great was the fury of the enemies that they stoned Stephen. 
Thus Stephen became the first Christian martyr. His stoning 
was the signal for a general and terrible persecution of the 
Christians. The believers were compelled to flee from Jerusa- 
lem, and were scattered abroad throughout the adjacent coun- 
tries. Nevertheless just this scattering of the believers served 
to spread the gospel and to increase the church of Jesus 
Christ. 

B. The First Extension of the Church. 

1. Philip. Philip, one of the seven deacons, driven 
from Jerusalem by the persecution which arose after Stephen's 
death, came to Samaria and there preached the gospel of 
Jesus, and many of the Samaritans were converted. Then 
the apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to Samaria to 
strengthen this new church in the faith. Philip was then led 
by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the Ethiopean 
Eunuch. This man believed the gospel, and was baptised by 
Philip. 

2. Cornelius. The apostle Peter did not immediately 
return to Jerusalem, but went about in the country of Samaria, 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 143 

preaching the gospel, and at last came to Joppa. Here he had 
a special vision by which the Holy Spirit prepared him to 
preach the gospel to the Gentiles. So when the Gentile cen- 
turion, Cornelius, sent messengers to him, Peter went with 
them and preached the gospel to Cornelius and his household. 
They accepted the gospel in faith, and received the Holy Ghost 
and were baptized. This conversion of Cornelius taught the 
disciples of Jesus a most important lesson ; it taught them that 
Jesus had obtained salvation for all mankind, and not only for 
the Jews. 

3. Conversion of the Apostle Paul. When Stephen 
was stoned by the Jews, there was a young man standing by, 
whose name was Saul. He was a bitter enemy of the Chris- 
tians and persecuted them wherever he could. But when he 
was on his way to Damascus, the Lord Jesus appeared unto 
him, and from that hour he became a different man. As he 
had hitherto persecuted the Christians, so he now most zeal- 
ously labored for Christ and for His cause. Once a bitter 
enemy of Jesus, he now became the greatest apostle, and did 
more to spread the gospel among the Gentiles than any other 
man. By far the greater part of the history of the Christian 
church from that time on, treats of the work of this great 
apostle. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

In what manner did Jesus after his ascension continue his work 
on earth? 

What event marks the founding of the Christian church? 

What was the effect of Peter's sermon at Pentecost? 

Name three characteristics of the first Christian church. 

In what manner did Philip's work extend the Christian church? 

How was the gospel brought to the Gentiles by the apostle Peter? 

What lesson did the Christians learn from the conversion of 
Cornelius? 

What man did the Lord choose to be his great apostle to the 
Gentiles ? 



144 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 33. 

PREACHING OF SALVATION BY THE APOSTLES 

— Continued. 

C. Extension of the Church Among the Gentiles. 

1. The Church at Antioch. Some of the believers who 
were scattered abroad by the persecution, traveled as far as 
Antioch, the chief city of Syria. As a rule they preached 
the gospel to Jews only; but some of the men preached the 
gospel of Jesus also to the Gentiles, and a great number of 
the Gentiles were converted and a large church was founded 
in Antioch. When the church in Jerusalem heard these 
things, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Barnabas soon went 
and brought the converted Saul to Antioch, and these two men 
preached in Antioch for about a year. Here in Antioch the 
believers in Jesus were first called Christians. 

2. The First Missionary Journey. While Barnabas 
and Saul were thus ministering in Antioch, the Holy Spirit 
called them to preach the gospel to the heathen nations. Then 
the church at Antioch solemnly consecrated them to this work 
and sent them out as missionaries of the gospel. They first 
sailed to the island of Cyprus and then to Asia Minor. Here 
they preached in the cities of Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, 
Lystra, and Derbe. Everywhere their preaching was gladly 
received by the Gentiles ; yet in nearly every place some unbe- 
lieving Jews opposed them and caused them to be persecuted. 
On their return journey they strengthened the believers in their 
faith and ordained elders in all the churches. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 



145 




146 





BIBLE MANUAL. 




First Missionary Journey of Paul. 


From Antioch in Syria they journeyed to: 


1. 


Seleucia. 


2. 


Sal amis. 


3. 


Paphos. 


4. 


Perga. 


5. 


Antioch in Pisidia. 


6. 


Iconium. 


7. 


Lystra. 


8. 


Derbe. 



From Derbe they returned to Antioch in Syria whence 
Paul and Barnabas went to the church council at Jerusalem. 

3. The Synod at Jerusalem. After the return of the 
apostles from their first missionary tour, some Jewish con- 
verts came to Antioch and caused a disturbance in the church, 
because they taught that the Gentile Christians could not be 
saved unless they accepted and observed all the ordinances of 
the Jewish law. Therefore the church sent Paul and Barnabas 
to Jerusalem to present this question before the apostles and 
elders of the church. When the apostles and elders had come 
together, Paul declared all the things that God had done by 
them among the Gentiles. Peter also again spoke of the con- 
version of Cornelius the centurion. Then the assembly 
unanimously declared that the Gentiles have the same right to 
salvation as the Jews, because we are saved only and alone by 
faith in Jesus: When Paul returned to Antioch, Silas went 
with him. 

4. Second Missionary Journey. Soon after this Paul 
undertook his second missionary journey. This time he was 
accompanied by Silas. Afterward they were joined by Timothy 
and Luke. First they visited the churches which had been 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 



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148 BIBLE MAXUAL. 

organized on the first 'journey ; then they journeyed westward 
and came to Troas (Troy). Here in a vision, Paul was in- 
structed by the Holy Ghost to go to Europe. So they embarked 
and sailed to Philip pi. Thence they went to Thessalonica, 
Berea, Athens, and Corinth. On their journey homeward they 
stopped at Ephesus, and at length again came to Antioch. 

The Second Missionary Journey of Paul. 
From Antioch in Syria, to: 

1. Syria and Cilicia. 

2. Derbe and Lystra. 

3. Phrygia and Galatia. 

4. Mysia. 

5. Troas. 

6. Samothracia, Neapolis, Philippi. 

7. x\mphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica, Berea. 

8. Athens, Corinth, Cenchrea, Ephesus. 

9. Caesarea, Jerusalem — back to 
10. Antioch in Syria. 

5. Third Missionary Journey. On his third journey 
Paul covered about the same territory as on the second. His 
main work was done in Ephesus, where he remained over two 
years. His farewell from this church was very pathetic, be- 
cause he knew that imprisonment awaited him at Jerusalem. 

Third Missionary Journey of Paul. 

From Antioch in Syria : 

1. Through the regions of Galatia, Phrygia, etc. 

2. Long sojourn in Ephesus. 

3. Macedonia and Greece. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY 



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150 BIBLE MANUAL. 

4. Troas, Assos, Mitylene, Chios. 

5. Samos, Trogyllium, Miletus. 

6. Coos, Rhodes, Patara. 

7. Tyre, Ptolomais, Caesarea. 

8. To Jerusalem. 

6. Journey to Rome. In the well-to-do churches of Asia 
Minor Paul had received gifts for the poor Christians in Jeru- 
salem. To deliver these donations Paul journeyed to Jerusa- 
lem about the time of Pentecost. In Jerusalem he was seized 
by the Jews, in the temple, and only the timely interference 
of the Roman captain of the guard saved him from being put 
to death. The captain sent Paul as a prisoner to the governor 
at Caesarea. Here he was kept prisoner for two years. Then, 
because he appealed unto Caesar (the emperor), he was sent 
to Rome. On this journey he suffered shipwreck. Later he 
arrived at Rome. During his imprisonment at Rome he wrote 
the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, also 
the letters to Philemon and Timothy. According to an ancient 
tradition Paul suffered martyrdom in Rome. The Bible states 
nothing about his death. 

Paul's Journey to Rome. 

From Jerusalem to : 

1. Caesarea. • 

2. Sidon, Myra. 

3. Cnidus, Crete, Lasea. 

4. Shipwreck at Melita (Malta). 

5. Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli. 

6. Appiforum, Three Taverns. 

7. Rome. 

7. The Ministry of the Other Apostles. The Bible 

tells us very little about the ministry of the other apostles. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 



151 



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152 BIBLE MANUAL. 

The work and ministry of Peter has already been mentioned 
in the previous lesson. In his epistles there is a reference 
(I. Pet. 5:13) to the church at Babylon, from which it is as- 
sumed that he also ministered at this place. James (the brother 
of the Lord) was the head of the church at Jerusalem. The 
New Testament contains one epistle which was written by 
him. John for a time labored in Ephesus ; he was banished 
to the isle of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelations. 

Though the Bible tells us but little of the activities of 
the other apostles, yet this little shows us clearly, that all were 
active in the spreading of the gospel, as Jesus had commanded 
them. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

By whom was the church in Antioch founded? 

Whom did the church in Jerusalem send to Antioch? Whom did 
he get to be his companion? 

How did it happen that the apostles were sent by the church unto 
the Gentiles? 

What does this teach us in respect to the work of missions and in 
respect to missionaries? 

Who were the companions of Paul on his second journey? 

How did it happen that Paul came to Rome? 

Follow the various journeys of Paul on the map; memorize the 
most important places and note carefully how the church of Christ 
was extended farther and farther. Compare this fact with the promise 
given to Abraham and with the command of Jesus, "Go ye into all the 
world." Note especially that God himself, in Jesus Christ, fulfills his 
promise to Abraham. 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 153 

BLACKBOARD OUTLINE. 

The Christian Church. 

I. Founding of the Christian church. 

1. Outpouring of the Holy Ghost. 

2. The first Christian church. 

3. The first persecutions. 

II. The first extension of the church. 

1 Philip * In Samaria - 

{ Ethiopian eunuch. 

[Journeying about the country. 

2. Peter <j Comes to Joppa. 

[ Conversion of Cornelius. 

3. Paul's conversion on the way to Damascus. 

III. Extension of the church among the Gentiles. 

1. The church at Antioch. 

2. The missionaries called. 

3. First journey. 

4. Synod at Jerusalem. 

5. Second journey; the gospel brought to Europe. 

6. Third journey. 

7. Paul's journey to Rome. 

8. Ministry of the other apostles. 



154 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 34. 

III. ACCEPTANCE OF SALVATION 
IN THE CHURCH. 

The last few lessons contained the most important facts 
concerning the founding and the extension of the Christian 
church. We have yet to learn what the Bible teaches us about 
this church. This is important, so that we may understand 
the aim and zvork of the church ; and this again will aid us 
wonderfully in understanding the Bible. 

1. The Preaching of the Word of God. Even the 
most superficial reader of the Bible will soon notice that the 
preaching of the gospel was the most important part of the 
ministry of the apostles. They considered it the purpose of 
their lives to proclaim the tidings of salvation in Christ. Their 
preaching, however, was much clearer than the preaching of 
the Old Testament prophets, because they were able to pro- 
claim the fulfillment of the prophecies in Jesus Christ. Indeed, 
Jesus Christ was the heart of the apostolic preaching, and it is 
most noteworthy that the sermons of the apostles were usually 
the story of the life and death of Jesus. The historical facts 
of Jesus' birth, sufferings, death and resurrection, especially the 
facts of his death and resurrection, formed the gospel which 
the apostles proclaimed. These facts the apostles showed in 
their peculiar relation to the sin of man; and so their preaching 
became a preaching of forgiveness of sin through the death of 
Christ — a preaching of the cross. 

2. The Call to Repentance and Faith. In this preaching 
of the gospel the apostles proclaimed the salvation in Christ. 
But this salvation is of no value to man, unless he accepts it. 
Therefore the apostles always summoned their hearers to be- 



NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. 155 

lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ. This summons indicates the 
condition on which salvation and the new life may be received. 
Faith in Christ, however, is always accompanied by a complete 
change of mind, by repentance and conversion. 

3. Baptism and the Lord's Supper. In accordance 
with Christ's command the newly converted believers upon 
confession were baptized and received into the covenant of 
grace; and for the purpose of strengthening the believers in 
the faith the Christian churches celebrated the Lord's Supper, 
as Jesus had commanded, in remembrance of the death of 
Christ and to have communion with him. 

4. Church Discipline. The church, however, by no 
means consists of perfect saints. The very first Christian 
church in Jerusalem revealed this fact very clearly. And the 
writings of the apostles show that they were continually forced 
to warn the believers against false doctrines and against back- 
sliding into unchristian conduct. These writings also show, 
that the apostles exercised salutary discipline against such 
members as under the Christian name showed themselves 
unsound in either doctrine or life. The call to faith is always 
a demand of complete surrender to Jesus. 

5. The Mission of the Church. Since the death of the 
apostles the Holy Ghost is continually active in and by the 
church. Now, however, He works only by the means of grace, 
by the Word of God and the Sacraments, which the church is 
to administer pure and undefiled. By these means of grace the 
sinner is to be called to repentance, and salvation is to be 
offered to him. By its inherent power, by .the power of God, 
Christianity will be victorious, and the world will be con- 
quered by Faith. Hence the task of the church is the Work 
of Missions, the preaching of the gospel in all the world, until 
Christ himself shall come again to judge the quick and the 
dead. 



156 BIBLE MANUAL. 

IV. THE CONSUMMATION OF SALVATION. 

According to God's eternal plan, the time, when the work 
of salvation of the world will be accomplished, has not been 
revealed unto us. Nevertheless the prophecies of the Bible 
give us some noteworthy hints. Thus according to the com- 
mand of Jesus, the gospel must first be preached unto all the 
nations of the world, and during this time the church will al- 
ways be a militant church, vexed by many temptations and 
trials. Then the Bible also prophesies that a time of great trib- 
ulation will yet come, "such as was not from the beginning of 
the creation unto this time." At last Christ shall come again 
to judge the world and to establish his kingdom. In that day 
all his enemies shall be trodden under his foot, and as a result 
of that terrible, consuming and sanctifying judgment, there 
shall be "a new heaven and a new earth in which dwelleth 
righteousness 5 ' and in which God is all in all. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What place did preaching take in the ministry of the apostles ? 

What was the substance of their preaching? 

Why is this preaching called: "The preaching of the cross?" 

What is the condition on which salvation may be obtained? 

What is the significance of the Sacraments? 

Why is Church Discipline necessary? 

What is the duty or task of the Christian church? 

How is the church to carry out this work? 

What will be the .character of the church until the second coming 
of Christ? 

What, according to the statement of the Bible, will precede this 
coming of Christ? 

What will Christ do when he comes again? 

How will God's plan of salvation at last be fulfilled? 



PART FIVE. 
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 

Lesson 35. 
I. THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE, A NECESSITY. 

1. Bible Reading and Bible Study. Probably very few 
Christians are to be found who do not admit the necessity of 
Bible reading, and surely no true Christian will neglect to read 
his Bible regularly. But reading is not studying. And not all 
Christians recognize that a mere reading of the Holy Scrip- 
tures is, not sufficient. The opinion of many Christians seems 
to be, that the study of the Bible is a duty resting upon the min- 
isters only, but not a duty of the lay members of the church. 
This opinion is fundamentally wrong. The Bible is God's 
message to all men, and not a message to certain classes only. 

2. Public Worship and Catechetical Instruction Can 
Never Take the Place of Bible Study. Many Christians, in- 
deed, content themselves with the instruction they receive in 
catechetical classes and in the regular public worship on the 
Sabbath. But if this instruction is of the right kind, it will 
emphasize the need of Bible study and lead up to it. System- 
atic study. of the Bible is not only necessary for ministers of 
the gospel and for teachers ; it is necessary for every Christian, 
so that he may fully understand the thoughts of God, and be 
strengthened in the faith. 

3. Without Earnest Study no Clear Understanding 
of the Scriptures Can be Obtained. The complaint of some 

157 



158 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Christians, that they cannot understand the Scriptures, proves 
nothing against the Bible. It does however, prove a deficiency 
on the part of the reader, a lack of serious study and medita- 
tion. True, the Bible is not intended to be read only for amuse- 
ment or pastime. On the contrary, it aims to incite us to re- 
flection and stimulate us to action. As the glorious beauty of 
Nature is not revealed to a hasty glance, neither are "the won- 
drous things out of Thy Law" discovered by the superficial, 
but only by the thoughtful and meditating reader. 

4. The Bible is the Most Remarkable and Most Inter- 
esting Book in the World. Apart from the religious signifi- 
cance of the Bible, no other book in the world is equal to it; 
no other book appeals so powerfully to the "human interest," 
arrests our attention, thrills our hearts; no other holds such 
sway over the human mind and will. It is by far the best and 
most interesting literature in the world. 

5. The Bible is God's Message to us Personally. The 

Bible is a gospel, not for others only, but also for us; the bread 
of life not only for others, but for us ; the rule of conduct for 
our lives, the light which is to shine upon our way. And, 
therefore, it is necessary for us to acquire possession of this 
word by careful and diligent study. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What is meant by the statement: Reading is not Study? 

Why is it an error to think that the study of the Bible is fitting for 
learned men only? 

Why can catechetical instruction or public worship not be a substi- 
tute for Bible-study? 

What is absolutely necessary to obtain an understanding of the 
Scriptures ? 

Mention at least three reasons why every Christian should study 
the Bible, 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE 159 



Lesson 36. 

II. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE STUDY OF THE 

BIBLE. 

1. The Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is God's 
own message to us ; but he has preserved this message for us 
in the writings and language of men. Hence the Bible is not a 
book which only a scholar can understand. Every person can 
learn from the Bible what God wants to reveal to him. Yet we 
must not be satisfied with accepting what others tell us about 
the Bible; we must read it for ourselves. 

2. Now, since the Bible cannot be read in a few moments, 
as one would read a short letter, therefore it is necessary to 
have some definite plan or system for our reading of this book. 
The Bible itself offers a suggestion to us in the manner in 
which it presents God's message. The Bible first tells us about 
God's deeds and actions; afterward it interprets these deeds by 
doctrine, by revealing to us the truths underlying these actions. 
So we also must first acquaint ourselves with these deeds of 
God, and then note what God teaches us concerning them. 

3. For the young reader, of the Bible, the sacred book is, 
first of all, the Story-Book which his heavenly Father has 
presented to him, and he should use it as such until he has 
thoroughly learned the stories it contains. 

Of course, most young scholars have some knowledge of 
the Bible stories ; yet few know where to find these stories in 
the Bible itself. Bible study, therefore, properly begins with 
the practice of looking up Scripture texts and the stories of the 
Bible. By reading these stories in the Bible itself, the scholar 
should note carefully in what manner the Bible tells them, and 
also acquaint himself with the language of the sacred book. 



160 BIBLE MANUAL. 

4. For his daily reading of the Scriptures, the young 
reader should select the stories of the Bible until he knows 
them thoroughly. This can easily be so arranged as to aid 
materially the later study of the Scriptures ; in fact, such read- 
ing for the purpose of learning the stories of the Bible is the 
foundation of all Bible study. 

5. The stories of the Bible are very closely related to one 
another. They all form part of a sacred history. Therefore, 
after the various stories have been memorized, we must next 
learn the historical connection which exists between them. 
This we learn by reading the historical books as connected 
wholes; that is, we begin to study Sacred History. 

6. Hints for the Study of Sacred History. 

a. Read, e. g., the summary of the contents of the 

book of Genesis as given in Less. 2. 

b. Then read the whole book of Genesis as one 

story. (The Sunday afternoons offer excel- 
lent opportunity for such reading.) 

c. Now read the outline of the first period of sacred 

history, Less. 18 and 19. 

d. Read, again, Genesis 1 to 3, and compare with 

these outlines. 

e. Lastly, make your own outline of the portions 

you have read. 

In like manner, take up each of the following periods of 
sacred history. Omit, at first, the genealogical tables. The 
proper time for studying these is indicated in the outlines. The 
student's first object must be to get a mental picture of the 
events of sacred history as he follows their course in his read- 
ing of the Scriptures. 

If the study of the Bible is thus begun and carried out 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 161 

conscientiously, it will soon become a source of great pleasure 
to the Bible reader. He will discover that God has given us, 
in this sacred book, the most interesting and fascinating book 
of the world. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What reason for Bible study lies in the fact that God had His 
message written by men? 

Why is it necessary that the study of the Bible be taken up syste- 
matically ? 

What suggestion in respect to method does the Bible itself give us ? 

What portions of the Bible should the beginner select for his daily 
reading ? 

Study carefully the hints given for the study of sacred history. 
You will find them valuable, also, for the study of the several books of 
the Bible. 



162 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 37. 
III. STUDY OF THE BIBLE BY BOOKS. 

1. Probably most Christians, in their study of the Bible, 
never advance beyond the reading of certain portions of the 
Scriptures for their daily devotions ; but this method of reading 
the Bible fails to enrich us with the fulness of its blessing; 
therefore everyone should strive to go a step farther, and take 
up the study of the books of the Bible as connected wholes. In 
this way only do we receive the particular impression God 
intended each book to make upon us. Though all the books of 
the Bible, being portions of the Scriptures, pertain to the salva- 
tion of man in Christ Jesus, yet each book treats of some par- 
ticular theme. Especially do the poetical and prophetical books 
contain doctrines and teachings which become intelligible only 
when seen in the light of the whole book. And it is indeed 
remarkable how the meaning of obscure verses becomes clear 
when they are seen in their proper place and connection, and 
how even the best-known verses receive added importance. 

2. The study of the Bible by books is not a difficult mat- 
ter, which only the learned can take up ; every intelligent reader 
of the Bible may follow this method, and probably no other 
will prove so interesting and profitable, and so increase his love 
for this wonderful book. 

3. The first principle of Bible study has been mentioned 
in the previous lesson : History first, then doctrine. The his- 
torical facts of the Bible underlie its doctrine. Therefore, the 
study of the historical books should precede the study of the 
poetical and prophetical books. Biblical doctrine is not con- 
fined to certain books of the Bible, but is revealed in the Bible 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 163 

as a whole. Each book, in its own way, conveys its part of 
God's message to mankind. 

Studying the Bible by Books. Grade I. 

The primary object of study in this grade is to become 
thoroughly acquainted with the contents of the book which is 
being studied. Until these contents are known, it is impossible 
to analyze the book or to state the thoughts and truths which 
it teaches. 

First step. Begin your study with one of the shorter his- 
torical books. Read the entire book at one sitting, 
paying no attention to the divisions into chapters 
and verses. Read rapidly, yet without haste, not- 
ing particularly the historical facts of the book. 

Then try to answer satisfactorily to yourself the 
question : Of what does this book treat? and make 
a note of your answer for future reference. 

Second step. Now read the book chapter by chapter. 
Beginning with chapter 1, read the chapter care- 
fully, and note: 

a. The incidents, discourses, etc., in the order in 

which they are recorded. 

b. For the chapter, select a title suggestive of its 

contents. 

c. Select the verse which, in your opinion, is the 

most important, or which has made the deep- 
est impression upon you, and memorize this 
verse. 

Third step. Before taking up a new chapter, try to recall 
the contents of the ones already studied. Then pro- 
ceed with each new chapter in the same manner, 
until the whole book has been read. 



164 BIBLE MANUAL. 

4. If the student has carefully acted upon these sugges- 
tions and made notes as directed, he will have an outline, or 
diagram, of the book he has read similar to the Outline I, given 
on the next page. Having prepared this outline, the stu- 
dent should mentally review the contents of the book until 
he is able to think through the whole book. He will then 
have mastered the contents of the book and be able to state 
where any of the incidents or discourses are recorded. 

The following outline is given as an illustration and sug- 
gestion. The student should, however, always make his own 
outlines. 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 
OUTLINE I. 



165 



The Gospel of Matthew. 


Q 

id 

O 


Title of Chapter. 


83! 

6> 


Contents of Chapter. 


1. 


Genealogy. 


21 


1. Genealogy of Christ. 

2. Angel appears unto Joseph. 

3. The birth of Jesus. 


2. 


Wise men of 
the East. 


2 


1. The Wise Men of the East. 

2. Flight into Egypt. 

3. Murder of the innocents. 
•4. Return to Nazareth. 


3. 


John the 
Baptist. 


16—17 


1. John the Baptist. 

a. His person. 

b. His ministry. 

2. Jesus is baptized by John. 


4. 


Temptation. 


16 


1. Temptation of Jesus. 

2. Beginning of public ministry. 

3. First disciples of Jesus. 


5. 


Beatitudes. 


3—10 


1. The beatitudes. 
2. Interpreting the Law. 

a. Thou shalt not kill. 

b. Thou shalt not commit adul- 

tery. 

c. Thou shalt not forswear thy- 

self. 
3. The law of love. 


6. 


"Our Father." 


9—13 


1. Concerning alms. 

2. Concerning prayer and fasting. 

3. God and mammon. 


7. 


Golden Rule. 


12 


1. Concerning judgment. 

2. The strait gate. 

3. False prophets. 

4. Hearing and doing. 



166 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



1 

s 


Title of Chapter. 


4/ 9 


Contents of Chapter. 


8. 


Miracles. 


27 


1. Healing the leper. 

2. The centurion at Capernaum. 

3. Peter's wife's mother. 

4. "Master, I will follow thee!" 

5. Stilling the tempest. 

6. Demoniacs at Gardara. 


9. 


Jairus. 


6 


1. Healing the palsied man. 

2. Jesus and the Pharisees. 

3. Healing the sick woman. 

4. Jairus' daughter. 

5. Blind man healed. 

6. Healing a dumb man. 


10. 


Apostles. 


32 


1. The 12 apostles. 

2. Their calling. 

3. Their task. 

4. Their reception — the result. 


11. 


Invitation. 


28 


1. The disciples of John. 

2. Jesus' testimony of John. 

3. The great invitation. 


12. 


Sabbath. 


18 


1. Discourse on the "Sabbath." 

2. Healing the blind and dumb. 

3. Discourse against Pharisees. 

4. The sign of Jonah. 


13. 


Parables. 


57 


1. Parable of the sower. 

2. Interpretation of the parable. 

3. Parable of the tares. 

4. Parable of mustard seed and leaven 

5. The pearl of great price. 

6. The parable of the net. 

7. The "carpenter's son." 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 



1&', 



a 

■d 
JS 
U 


Title of Chapter. 


4) 4,' 


Contents of Chapter. 


14. 


Five Thousand. 


27 


1. Death of John the Baptist. 

2. Feeding the 5,000. 

3. Walking on the sea. 

4. "Oh, thou little of faith !" 


15. 


Four Thousand. 


11 


1. Discourse concerning the law of 

God and the traditions of men. 

2. The Canaanitish woman. 

3. Feeding the 4,000. 


16. 


Great 
Confession. 


16 
26 


1. The leaven of the Pharisees. 

2. Whom do men say that I am? 

3. The great confession. 

4. Passion foretold. 


17. 


Transfiguration 


5 


1. Transfiguration. 

2. Healing the lunatic child. 

3. Tribute money. 


18. 


70 times 7 


11 


1. True greatness. 

2. Concerning offences. 

3. Forgiving one another. 

4. Parable of the two debtors. 


19. 


Children. 


14 


1. Discourse with the Pharisees. 

2. Jesus and the children. 

3. The rich young ruler. 

4. Concerning riches. 


20. 


Vineyard. 


28 


1. Workers in the vineyard. 

2. Passion again foretold. 

3. The sons of Zebedee. 

4. Healing of two blind men. 


21. 


Hosanna. 


13 


1. Entry into Jerusalem. 

2. Cleansing the temple. 

3. The fig-tree cursed. 

4. The wicked husbandmen. 



168 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



id 

A 
O 


Title of Chapter. 


ft «»" 


Contents of Chapter. 


22. 


Greatest 
Commandment. 


14 


1. Parable of the marriage feast. 

2. Tribute money. 

3. Concerning the resurrection. 

4. The greatest commandment. 

5. The Son of David. 


23. 


Woe unto 
you! 


37 


1. Jesus rebukes the scribes and Phari- 
sees. 


24. 


The Son of 
Man. 


44 


1. Concerning the destruction of Je- 

rusalem. 

2. Signs of Christ's second coming. 


25. 


Talents. 


31 


1. Parable of the 10 virgins. 

2. Parable of the talents. 

3. Concerning the last judgment. 


26. 


Gethsemane. 


39 


1. Conspiracy of the rulers. 

2. Anointing in Bethany. 

3. "Thirty pieces of silver." 

4. The Lord's supper. 

5. Gethsemane. 

6. Judas the traitor. 

7. Jesus arrested. 

8. Peter's denial. 


27. 


Golgotha. 


46 


1. Christ before Pilate. 

2. Jesus or Barabbas? 

3. The crown of thorns. 

4. Crucifixion. 

5. Watching near the cross. 

6. Burial of Jesus. 

7. Sealing the stone. 


28. 


Resurrection. 


18—20 


1. The women at the sepulchre. 

2. "He is not here." 

3. The men of the watch. 

4. "All power is given unto me." 

5. Institution of Baptism. 

6. "Lo, I am with you alway." 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 169 

Note: The foregoing outline treats of one of the larger books of 
the Bible; the student, however, should begin with one of the smaller 
books. Not until several of the books have been studied in this manner 
should the student take up the work of the next grade. This however 
does not mean that all the historical books must first have been studied 
before advancing to the next grade. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Give three reasons for studying the Bible by books. 

Make an outline of the book of Esther, according to the plan sug- 
gested in this lesson. 



170 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 38. 
STUDYING THE BIBLE BY BOOKS (Continued). 

Grade II. 

We have learned, in the previous lesson, that the first 
essential for our study is to become thoroughly acquainted with 
the contents of the book we are studying, When we are able 
to think through the book by the aid of our outline I, then we 
are ready to attempt to analyse these contents. 

Step 1. Taking outline 1, again review the contents of the 
whole book. Then read rapidly the whole book, with this pur- 
pose in mind, to find the principle theme of the book. At first 
it may be difficult to find this theme, or to make out what the 
drift of the book is ; yet this need not discourage anyone. The 
studies in Parts III and IV and the short outlines and sum- 
maries of the various books of the Bible in Parts I and II of 
this Manual, will here be found very helpful. 

Sometimes a single verse or chapter, or an oft repeated 
expression will cause us to find the theme. Let us take, for 
example, the gospel of Matthew. 

The very first verse speaks of "Jesus Christ the Son of 
David." 

In Chap, two inquiry is made "Where is he that is born 
King of the Jews?" 

In Chap, three John testifies that "the kingdom of heaven 
is at hand." 

In Chap, four we read that Jesus preached : "The king- 
dom of heaven is at hand." (Also in Chap. 9.) 

His disciples were instructed to preach the gospel of the 
kingdom. 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 171 

The parables especially speak of "the kingdom of heaven" 

Yet the whole gospel is a story of Jesus Christ, and 
revolves about his person. Connecting this fact with the ever- 
recurring expressions about the kingdom will soon disclose to 
us the theme of the book: Jesus is the King of Israel, the 
promised Messiah. 

Step. 2. Having found the main theme, the next step is to 
find the main divisions of the book according to our outline I. 
Taking the gospel of Matthew again, for an example, we find 
that the gospel treats mainly of three things : the person, the 
passion and the wonderful power of Jesus. The theme which 
we just found suggests the following divisions : 

I. The Person of Jesus, the Christ and King. 

II. The Passion of Jesus, the Christ and King. 

III. The Power of Jesus, the Christ and King. 

Step 3. Having found the theme and main divisions, each 
division is studied separately, and the diagram extended step 
by step, until it reveals the contents of the whole book, as shown 
in the following outline. 



172 BIBLE MANUAL. 

OUTLINE II. 



The Gospel of Matthew. 
Theme: Jesus is the King of Israel, the promised Messiah. 
Introduction: 1:1 — 4:16. 

1. Genealogy of Jesus, the King, 1 :1-17. 

2. Birth and infancy of Jesus, the King. 1:18—2:23. 

3. The forerunner of the King. 3 :1 — 4 :16. 

Parti. The Person of the King. 4:17—16:20. 

A. The Kingdom — brought nigh by the King. 

1. The first ministers. 4:17-25. 

2. The kingly proclamation. 5:1 — 7:29. 

a. The subjects of the kingdom. 5:1-16. 

b. The laws of the kingdom. 5:17 — 7:12. 

c. Invitation to citizenship. 7 : 13-29. 

3. What the King can do. 8 :1— 9 :35. 

B. The Kingdom extended. 

1. The ambassadors of the King. 9:36—10:42. 

a. Their mission. 9:36 — 10:1. 

b. Their names. 10 :2-4. 

c. Their commission. 10:5-42. 

2. Antagonism to the King. 11, 12. 

a. How the King is received. 11. 

b. Enmity of the Pharisees. 12. 

C. The Mysteries of the Kingdom. 13. 

D. The Crisis of the Kingdom. 14:1 — 16:20. 

The King is rejected, and leaves the borders of Israel. 

Part II. The Passion of the King. 16 :21— 27 :66. 
A. Cross and Crown. 16:21 — 18:35. 

1. First prediction of his death. 16 :21-28. 

2. The transfiguration. 17:1-21. 

3. Second prediction of his death. 17:22-27. 

4. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 18:1-35. 

a. Childlike spirit. 18:1-5. 

b. Touching offenses. 18 :6-20. 

c. The limits of forgiveness. 18:21-35. 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 173 

B. Going up to Jerusalem. 19:1 — 20:34. 

1. Beyond Jordan. 19:1—20:16. 

2. On the way to Jerusalem. 20:16—20:34. 

3. Third prediction of his death. 20:17-19.. 

C. The King comes to the city of the King. 21 :1 — 26:1. 

1. The royal entry. 21 :1-17. 

2. Conflict with his enemies. 21:17 — 26:1, 2. 

D. The King as High Priest. 26:1—27:66. 

1. Fourth prediction of his death. 26:1, 2. 

2. Conspiracy of his enemies. 26 :3-5. 

3. The New Passover. 26 :6-35. 

4. Gethsemane. 26:36-56. 

a. The King's agony. 26 :36-46. 

b. Betrayal and arrest. 27:47-56. 

5. The King on trial. 26 :57— 27 :25. 

a. The ecclesiastical trial. 26:57-68. 

b. The civil trial. 27:1-25. 

6. Golgotha. 27:25-66. 

a. The King crucified. 27 :25-49. 

b. Death and burial of the King. 27 :50-66. 

Part III. The glorious Power of the King. 28. 

A. The Resurrection of the King. 

1. The angel of the Lord. 2.8:1-4. 

2. The message: "He is not here." 28:5-8. 

B. The Appearance of the King. 

1. The joy of the disciples. 28:8-10. 

2. The impotency of the enemies. 28:11-15. 

C. The Great Commission of the King. 

1. Declaration of his power and majesty. 28:16-18. 

2. The great commission. 28:19. 

3. The royal promise. 28 :20. 



Note: The foregoing outline was prepared according to an outline 
study of Matthew by Elmore Harris, D. D. 

EXERCISE. 

Compare the above outline II with outline I, in the previous lesson, 
and note how they supplement each other, and how they help to under- 
stand the gospel of Matthew and its particular message. 



174 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 39. 
STUDYING THE BIBLE BY BOOKS (Concluded). 

Grade III. . 

1. When the student of the Bible has thoroughly ac- 
quainted himself with the contents of a certain book and has 
grasped its theme and made an analysis as indicated in the 
previous lesson, he is prepared to take up the study of the 
doctrine of the Scriptures which he is reading. This study of 
the doctrine may be considered the most advanced grade of 
Bible study. Its purpose is to discover the great thoughts of 
God, the divine message which is revealed to us in the Bible. 
It has pleased God to speak to us in the Bible concerning the 
greatest subjects, and it is for us to master his divine teachings 
by collecting and co-ordinating the various statements concern- 
ing these subjects. 

2. As, in this study of doctrine, we have to deal with many 
separate passages of the Scriptures, it is necessary to observe 
carefully the following principles : 

Rule 1. Determine first, what the Bible says concerning the 
particular subject in question ; then ask What does it 
mean? 

Rule 2. Note carefully the connection in which the various 
passages occur ; this connection very often gives a pas- 
sage its particular meaning. 

Rule 3. Determine in each case: 

a. Who it is that speaks. This is very important, because 
the Bible records the words of many different 
speakers : God, men ; yea, even Satan. 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 175 

b. The title of the speaker. These titles are revelations of 

person, character and office. The names and titles 
of God are especially important. The name of God 
occurs about 2700 times in the Bible, and about 
2250 times in the plural form. Why ? 

c. To whom spoken. This also is very important, since 

entirely different classes are addressed : Jews, Gen- 
tiles, believers, etc. 

d. The attending circumstances. These render the mean- 

ing of the passage clearer. 

e. The time when spoken. God has spoken to man at 

diverse times, and knowledge of the time and cir- 
cumstances in which a certain Scripture was com- 
posed is one of the best helps to its understanding. 

/. In what manner spoken. God has spoken in diverse 
manner, that is, in many ways. 

Unless we take heed of these things, we are apt to dislo- 
cate a text from its context, and to err in its interpretation. 
Therefore, the Bible warns us against "wresting the Scrip- 
tures" and against "handling the word of God deceitfully." 

Rule 4. Above all, remember that God, in His word, is speak- 
ing to you ; that the message is directed to you person- 
ally. Therefore, bring it home to your own con- 
science. 

3. No single book of the Bible contains more than a frag- 
ment of the message of God contained in the Bible as a whole. 
It is by collecting these fragments that the study of Bible-doc- 
trine discloses to us the wonderful wealth of the Scriptures. 
For this reason Adult Bible classes will find this study most 
profitable, and a never-failing source of edification. And just 
this method of study will emphasize the importance of the 
command: /'Search ye the Scriptures!" The Bible is its own 



176 BIBLE MANUAL. 

interpreter and the foundation of all intelligent reading of the 
Bible is to compare scripture with scripture. 

4. The following outlines are added to illustrate what has 
just been said. Outline III shows how the teaching of a single 
book on a certain topic may be clearly represented. In Outline 
IV, passages from a number of books have been grouped 
together and compared, and the outstanding truths deducted. 

OUTLINE III. 



Question: What does the epistle to the Ephesians teach con- 
cerning the Christian Church? 
Answer : The Christian church is : 

1. The Body of Christ. 1 :23. 

2. An Habitation of God. 2 :20-22. 

3. The Bride of Christ. 5 :25-27. 
Analysis : 

I. The wealth and wondrous glory of the church. 

1. The source of this wealth is Christ. 1 :3. 

2. This wealth described: 

a. Election. 1 :4. d. Enlightenment. 1 :8, 9. 

b. Adoption. 1 :5. e. Inheritance. 1 :11. 

c. Redemption. 1 :7. /. Sealing. 1 :13. 
II. The church is the workmanship of the Spirit. 

1. The work of the Spirit in the resurrection of Christ, 

the Head of the church. 1 :20-23. 

2. The work of the Spirit in the members: 

a. Quickening from death to life. 2:1-6. 

b. Revelation of the purpose of salvation. 2 :7-10. 

c. Reconciliation of the Gentiles. 2:11-22. 

III. The walk of the church. 

1. A walk in unity of the members. 4:1-16. 

2. A walk in righteousness and holiness. 4:17ff. 

3. The Christian Home. 5 :22 — 6 :9. 

IV. The spiritual zvarfare of the church. 

1. Warfare against the powers of darkness. 6:10-12. 

2. The whole armour of God. 6:13-20. 

3. The church will stand, will be victorious by the power 

of the Spirit. 






HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 177 

OUTLINE IV. 



Theme: What does the Bible teach concerning the character- 
istics of the children of God? 

a. Thfs question is important, because we shall be judged by 

the word of God. Joh. 12:48. 

b. The question is warranted, because the Bible tells us how 

we may become children of God. Gal. 3 :26. 

Analysis: The Bible marks are: 

1. They all justify God. Luke 7 :29-35. 

2. They are all believers. Joh. 1:12, 13. I. Joh. 5:1 Com- 
pare, also, all passages on Faith. 

3. They are led by the Spirit of God. Rom. 8:14-27. Gal. 

4:4-6. 

4. They are chastened and disciplined. Hebr. 12:5-11; Prov. 

3:12; 13:24; Rev. 3:19. 

5. They practice righteousness. I. Joh. 2:29; 3:9, 10; Matt. 

7:16-18; Rom. 8:4. 

6. They walk in brotherly love. I. Joh. 3:14-18; 4:7, 8; 

5:1-3; Luke 6:35. 
7 S They overcome the world. I. Joh. 4 :4-5. 
"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon 
us, that we should be called the sons of God." I. Joh. 3 :1. 



Note: The above outline (condensed) is taken from "Bible Read- 
ings on Fundamental Bible Truths," by J. W. Icenbargar and A. W. 
Yale. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Read the epistle to the Ephesians, comparing it with Outline III. 
In your opinion, does this outline agree with the contents of the 
epistle? 

Look up all the Scripture passages indicated in Outline IV, and 
judge for yourself whether they establish the characteristics given in 
the outline. 

Topics for study and work: 

1. What does the epistle of James teach concerning Trials and 
Temptations ? 

2. What does Jesus teach concerning the Sabbath? 

Remark : Needless to say, these topics are intended only for 
advanced students, not for beginners. 



178 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 40. 
IV. AIDS FOR THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. 

1. The first and most important aid for the successful 
study of the Bible is Prayer for enlightenment and the guid- 
ance of the Holy Spirit. Not only is the Bible the Word of 
God, but only the Spirit of God leads into all truth. Only by 
divne guidance can we come to an understanding of the divine 
message. Hence, we need, above all, to pray: "Open thou 
mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law!' 

2. Earnest and God-fearing men of all ages have devoted 
themselves to the study of the Bible, and the results of their 
study have been preserved for posterity. This has not come to 
pass "by chance," but by the will of God, in order that these 
expositions of devout and thinking men may help us to a better 
understanding of the Bible. Therefore, every Bible reader 
should, if possible, purchase some books of reference. There 
are a number of such books, written especially for the simple, 
unlearned reader of the Bible; others are written especially for 
S. S. teachers. A Bible Concordance, a Dictionary of the Bible 
and some good Commentary on the Bible will prove most valu- 
able helps. Any pastor can get these books for his scholars and 
S. S. teachers, or they can be purchased from the Publishing 
House of the church. 

3. Concerning the use of these helps, some few things 
must be noted carefully: 

a. No commentary or other textbook can ever take the 
place of the Bible itself. They must, therefore, 
never be used instead of the Bible, but always in 
connection with the Bible. 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 179 

b. These helps are not intended to relieve us from personal 

meditation and study. Their purpose is, rather, to 
stimulate and encourage us to more careful study. 

c. Not the commentaries, but only the Bible is inspired 

of God. Hence, all commentaries and other text- 
books must be judged in the light of the Bible, and 
not vice versa. 

4. The proper use of such helps to the study of the Bible 
will always prove a blessing to the student. Yet every reader 
of the Bible must bear in mind, that God is speaking to him 
personally in the Scriptures, and that, therefore, it is his sacred 
duty to meditate personally upon this divine message. The 
Bible is not written in cipher, but in a language we can under- 
stand. Every reader of the Bible, if he will, can find in this 
book the particular truth God desires to reveal to him. Indeed, 
it often occurs that what is hidden from the wise and prudent 
is readily grasped by the humble and child-like mind. But we 
must not seek anything in the Bible that God does not want to 
reveal therein. The meaning of the Bible remains obscure to 
many readers because they are not seeking God's truth, but 
something that may agree with their own notions. 

5. "If any man will do His will," says Jesus, u he shall 
know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." The full measure 
of blessing will come only to that reader of the Bible who hum- 
bly and sincerely desires to know, to love and to obey the truth. 
The Spirit of God guideth into all truth — but guideth him lily 
who willingly and obediently follows His leading. As the truth 
unfolds before us, we must accept it ; that is, obey its teaching. 
If we do this, the truth will become ever clearer to us ; but if 
we refuse to obey, the Bible will always remain a sealed book 
for us — "a savour of death unto death." 



PART SIX. 
SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS.* 

L CONCERNING THE BIBLE IN GENERAL 

Lesson 1. 
NAMES AND DIVISIONS. 

1. The name Bible, which is generally given to the col- 
lection of our sacred writings, is derived from the Greek word 
fiij3?ua (Books). The ancient Grecian Christians called the 
writings which were read in their divine services "ra P'.pMa" 
{The books). In the middle ages this designation was car- 
ried over into the Latin language (Biblia) whence it after- 
wards also came into our modern languages. This name is 
exceptionally appropriate, not only because the Bible is a col- 
lection of writings, but especially because the Bible alone can 
be justly called The Book. "Bible'' therefore means that this 
book is the one book above all others, with which no other 
book is to be compared. 

2. The name Holy Scriptures is given to the Bible: 

a. Because all writings that are contained therein are 
holy, that is of divine origin, distinctly different 
from all other writings and must be held sacred. 

b. Because the subject of its contents is the salvation 
and redempton of man through Christ Jesus. 



*NOTE. The study of these supplementary lessons, though not required as 
part of the regular work of the Teacher Training Classes, cannot be urged too 
strongly upon the student. 

180 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 181 

3. Hence the Bible is also called The Word of God. 

a. Though the Bible was written by men and for 
men, yet it was "given by inspiration of God;" 
that is: God by His Holy Spirit, moved devout 
men to write His words and deeds. 

b. Since the Bible is inspired by God, and since 
through this book the Spirit of God exerts an in- 
fluence upon our conscience and understanding, 
therefore we must say that the Bible is the Word 
of God. 

4. The name Testament, which is given to the two main 
divisions of the Bible, means covenant; it also is applied to 
the deed or document of a covenant. Now the Bible is the 
document or charter of that covenant which God made with 
mankind. This covenant is a covenant of grace for it was 
God's mercy and love that made him enter into this covenant 
with man. The Old Testament emphasized the Law, and the 
New Testament Grace; therefore they are sometimes also 
called "The covenant of the Law" and "The covenant of 
Grace." What God prepared and promised in the Old Tes- 
tament, He fulfilled in the New Testament, in Christ Jesus. 

QUESTIONS. 

To what collection of writings is the name Bible applied? 

What can you tell about the origin of this name? What does it 
mean? 

Give two reasons why the Bible is called The Holy Scriptures. 

Give three reasons why the Bible must be accepted as the Word 
of God. 

Explain the name Testament. 



182 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 2. 
NAMES AND DIVISIONS— Continued. 

1. The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testa- 
ment and the New Testament. Each of these divisions con- 
sists of a number of separate writings, which are called the 
Books of the Bible. There are 66 Books of the Bible; the 
Old Testament containing 39 books, the New Testament 27 
books. 

(Memory help : 

O-l-d, 3; T-e-s-t-a-m-e-n-t, 9; suggesting 39 

N-e-w, 3; T-e-s-t-a-m-e-n-t, 9; 3x9 = 27.) 

2. The books of the Bible differ in respect to their con- 
tents ; accordingly they are divided into three classes. The 
contents of the books of the first class is chiefly historical, of 
the second class chiefly doctrinal, of the third class chiefly 
prophetical. The arrangement of the books in our English 
Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, is according to 
this classification of contents. 

3. The Books of the Old Testament (39). 

I. Historical Books (17). 

a. Law (5) also called Pentateuch: Genesis, 

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. 
b History (12) : Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I. Samuel, 
II. Samuel, I. Kings, II. Kings, I. Chronicles, 
II. Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. 

II. Doctrinal Books (5) also called Poetical Books: 
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastics, Songs of 
Solomon. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 183 

III. Prophetical Books (17). 

a. Major Prophets (5) : Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamen- 
tations, Ezekiel, Daniel. 

b. Minor Prophets (12) : Hosea, Joel, Amos, Oba- 
diah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zepha- 
miah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. 

4. The Books of the New Testament (27). 
I. Historical Books (5). 

a. The Gospels (4) : Mathew, Mark, Luke, John. 

b. History (1) : The Acts of the Apostles. 

II. Doctrinal Books (21) also called the Epistles. 

a. Epistles of Paul (13): Romans, Corinthians 
(2). Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossi- 

ans, Thessalonians (2), Timothy (2), Titus, 
Philemon. 

b. Other Epistles (8) : Hebrews, James, Peter (2), 
John (3), Jude. 

III. Prophetical Book (1): Revelations. 

5. Every Christian should know the names of the Books 
of the Bible and also the order in which they are arranged. 
The best plan for memorizing the names is conscientious drill. 
Go over the names again and again until any chapter or verse 
can be quickly found. Looking up Bible texts is to be espe- 
cially recommended. Teachers should assign a number of texts 
in each lesson to be looked up and written out as home work. 

QUESTIONS. 

How many main divisions has the Bible? 
How many books are in the Old Testament? 
How many books are in the New Testament? 



184 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



Into what groups are these books divided in respect to their 
contents ? 

Name all the books of the Bible. 



Blackboard Outline. 







The 


Bible. 




Old Testament. 




New Testament. 


I. 


Historical - - 

a. Law - - - - 

b. History - - - 


- 17 
5 
12 


I. Historical - - - 5 

a. Gospels - - - 4 

b. Acts - - - - 1 


II. 


Doctrinal - - - 


- 5 


II. Doctrinal ----- 21 

a. Letters of Paul 13 

b. Other Epistles 8 


III. 


Prophetical - - 

a. Major Prophets 

b. Minor Prophets 


- 17 
5 
12 

39 


III. Prophetical - - - 1 
Revelations 

27 



Drill on this outline until the pupil can recite the names of the 
books of any group without hesitation and also state in which group 
any given book belongs. Drill is the key to success. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 185 

Lesson 3. 
ORIGIN AND LANGUAGE. 

1. The Bible is not the work of one individual, nor was 
the entire Bible written at one time. The various writings 
of which the Bible is composed were written by no less than 
thirty-six different authors during a period of at least sixteen 
centuries. The original manuscripts of these authors are no 
longer in existence; however, there are some very ancient 

copies and translations, which are preserved in various 

ibraries and museums. 

2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament, with the ex- 
ception of some portions (Dan. 2:4-7:28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 
7 :12-26 and Jer. 10 :11) were written in Hebrew, the language 
of the children of Israel. The exceptions just mentioned, 
were written in Aramaic, which language was spoken by the 
Jews after the return from the Babylonian captivity. Accord- 
ing to a Jewish tradition, these Scriptures were collected by 
Ezra, the great scribe; but this tradition is by no means re- 
liable. It is certain, however, that a collection of these Scrip- 
tures was in existence two or three centuries before the 
Christian era. 

3. Hebrew was the language of the Jews up to the 
time of the destruction of Jerusalem, and it is even now their 
sacred language, in which the Law and the Prophets are read 
in the synagogues. After the Babylonian captivity, Aramaic 
was the language of the Jews until they were ultimately scat- 
tered among the nations. Aramaic also was the language 
which was spoken by the Jews at the time of Jesus and the 
apostles. 



186 BIBLE MANUAL. 

4. But prior of the birth of Christ, there were Jewish 
settlements in almost all the countries of Asia Minor and 
Northern Africa. The language used in these countries at 
that time was mainly Greek. If the sacred writings were to 
be made available to the Jews in these countries, they must 
be translated. Thus originated the Greek translation of the 
Old Testament, which is known as the Septuagint (LXX). 
(This name is derived from the Jewish tradition, according 
to which this translation was made by seventy or seventy-two 
elders.) This translation was made 247-260 years before the 
birth of Christ and was in general use at the time of Jesus. 
Jesus himself and also the apostles often quote passages of 
the Old Testament according to this translation. Several 
copies of the LXX are still in existence. 

5. The books of the New Testament were all written in 
Greek, which was the language in general use and understood 
everywhere at that time. Matthew at first probably wrote his 
gospel in Aramaic and afterwards in Greek. Only copies of 
his Greek manuscript are now in existence. All the scrip- 
tures of the New Testament were written before the close of 
the first century of the Christian era ; the most of them before 
the destruction of Jerusalem, A. D. 70. 

6. Several centuries elapsed, however, before these 
Scriptures were gathered into one collection. As long as the 
apostles lived and proclaimed the gospel by word of mouth, 
the Christians did not yet feel the need of written instruction. 
But when the number of churches increased and the apostles 
no longer were able to instruct all the believers orally, this 
need became very urgent. 

To meet this need, the apostles wrote the letters (epistles) 
which we still have in the New Testament. These epistles of 
the apostles were interchanged by the different apostolic 
churches, and the copying and sending of course took con - 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 187 

siderable time. However, not only the apostles, but many 
others (Luke 1:1) wrote about Jesus and his doctrine; and 
we know from history, that even in that early time, Scrip- 
tures containing false doctrines were sent out under the name 
of some apostle. Thus the true believers were constrained to 
select and separate the true apostolic Scriptures from the 
false. This work of selection and sifting required careful 
examination ; and as the apostolic churches did not yet form a 
united Christendom, a long time passed before the task was 
finished. In A. D. 397 this collecting and compiling of the 
Holy Scriptures into the Bible as we now have it, was com- 
pleted. This collection of Scriptures was accepted by the 
Council of Carthage (A. D. 397) as the Canon of the Scrip- 
tures, the standard and rule of Christian life and belief. 

7. The Apocrypha, which are inserted in some editions 
of the Bible between the Old and the New Testament, do not 
belong to the Scriptures. These books were written at a 
time when the spirit of prophesy had long departed from 
Israel. The Jews never admitted them into the Hebrew canon 
nor allowed them to be used in their public worship. By the 
translation of the Bible into the Greek (LXX) the Apocry- 
pha came into the Bible of the ancients and also into the Latin 
version (Vulgata) which the Roman church regards as the 
only authentic version. Some of these apocryphal books are 
entirely worthless, others are fictitious tales, and only a few 
have historical value, or exhibit various moral doctrinal views. 
Hence the church of England very properly excluded them 
from the English Bible on the ground that they ought not to 
be used to establish any doctrine. Though Martin Luther 
admitted them into his German translation of the Bible, yet 
in the superscription he expressly states that they must not 
be considered equal to the Holy Scriptures. 



188 BIBLE MANUAL. 

QUESTIONS. 

In what language were the books of the Old Testament written? 

To whom is the collection of these books ascribed? 

What language did the Jews speak after the Babylonian captivity? 

When was the Old Testament translated into Greek? Why? 
What is this translation called? 

In what language were the books of the New Testament written? 

What caused the need of the apostolic letters? 

Why were the Christians compelled to make a collection of the 
Holy Scriptures? 

When was this collection completed? 

What was the decision of the council of Carthage concerning this 
collection? 

Define the term "canon." 

What are the Apocrypha? 

How did they come into the Bible? 

What value have they? 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 189 

Lesson 4. 

MANUSCRIPTS AND TRANSLATIONS. 

Naturally the Bible-reader will be interested in knowing 
something about the ancient manuscripts and translations of 
the Holy Scriptures. 

1. The original, autograph manuscripts of the books of 
the Bible are no longer in existence, but some very old copies 
have been found. The oldest Hebrew Copy of the Old Testa- 
ment which has been discovered up to the present time is of 
the year A. D. 840. The rules of the Jewish Talmudists, con- 
cerning the preparation of copies of their sacred Scriptures, 
were exceedingly exacting. There were special rules con- 
cerning the preparation of the parchment; the writing must 
be in columns of exactly the same size; the ink must be pre- 
pared according to a special formula ; there were special rules 
for the position of the letters, the use of the pen, etc., etc. 
When a copy was finished it was examined most carefully, 
and if perchance a line was not perfect, if a letter was miss- 
ing, or if one letter touched another, the whole copy was 
rejected and not permitted to be used in the synagogues. 
These stringent rules no doubt served to keep the text of the 
Scriptures very accurate. The text of the Hebrew Bible, as 
we have it today, is the Masoretic text, with inserted vowel 
marks, which was accepted by the Jewish doctors in the sixth 
century A. D. The vowels were not originally written in the 
Hebrew language; the Masoretic text marks them with dots 
and dashec placed under or above the consonants, and these 
are read from right to left. The oldest copy of the Hebrew 
Bible which has yet been found is preserved in the Imperial 
Library at Petrograd, Russia. 



190 BIBLE MANUAL. 



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Hebrew Manuscript. 
Psalm I. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 191 

2. The Samaritan Pentateuch, consisting of the Penta- 
teuch in Samaritan characters and a version based on this 
Samaritan text, is preserved in the synagogue of Nablus 
(ancient Shechem). This valuable Ms. was discovered in 
A. D. 1616, and copies thereof (but only three complete) are 
kept in different libraries in Europe. The Samaritan Penta- 
teuch and the Septuagint are the oldest documents we have 
for determining the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament. 

3. The oldest Greek Mss. of the Bible which have as 
yet been found, are written on parchment or vellum, prepared 
from finely tanned skins. The Greek Mss. are more numer- 
ous and of higher antiquity than the Hebrew manuscripts. 
Only the most important can be mentioned here. 

a. Sinaitic Codex is generally considered to be the old- 
est Greek Ms. of the Bible. It is from the middle of 
the fourth century and was discovered by Constantine 
Tischendorf in 1859, in the monastery of St. Catherine, 
at Mt. Sinai. It is now in the Imperial Library at 
Petrograd. At the expense of the Czar of Russia, 
fac-simile copies were printed, one of which is in the 
library of the American Bible Society. 

b. Vatican Codex (so called because it is kept in the 
Vatican Library in Rome) also dates from the fourth 
century. It was brought to Rome in A. D. 1448. 
This manuscript is less complete than the Sinaitic, 
but it is written more accurately. 

c. The Alexandrian Codex is of the fifth century. It 
was presented to Charles I. of England by the Patri- 
arch of Constantinople, in 1628, and is now kept in the 
British Museum. 

d. Numerous other Mss. of the Bible are still in exist- 
ence and are preserved in various libraries of Europe. 
The three mentioned are, however, the oldest and 
most important. 



192 BIBLE MANUAL. 



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Greek Manuscript. 
Sinaitic Codex. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 193 

4. These Greek versions of the Bible were translated 
into other languages very early in the first centuries of Chris- 
tianity. The need of such translations is easily understood 
when we consider how rapidly the Christian religion spread 
among the heathen nations. Thus the number of believers 
who could not understand Greek increased continually and 
made it imperative to translate the Holy Scriptures for them. 
The first translation was probably the Syriac version; then 
followed the Ethiopian, Egyptian, etc. Fragments of -these 
versions are still in existence. 

5. At that early time, the nations were mostly under 
Roman rule. Thus there originated in Africa a Latin version 
as early as the second century; and of this no less than thirty 
fragments have been preserved. 

6. The Vulgate however is the most important Latin 
version of the Bible. About A. D. 383, Jerome, one of the 
most learned men of his time, undertook the task of revising 
and correcting the Latin version of the Bible. He soon dis- 
covered that to do this work thoroughly, he must consult the 
Hebrew and Greek versions. Jerome worked at this task for 
about twenty years. (In Bethlehem, tourists are shown the 
room in which he is said to have worked.) The great task 
was finished A. D. 405, but his translation was not favorably 
received at first. Not until after Jerome's death was this 
translation accepted. In A. D. 1590, Pope Sixtus V. pub- 
lished a new edition of the Vulgate, but this edition contained 
so many errors, that Pope Clemens VIII. issued a revised 
edition in A. D. 1592. This Clementine edition of the Vulgate 
is accepted in the Roman church today as the only authentic 
version of the Bible. 

7. In the course of time these ancient versions of the 
Bible have been translated into nearly all the principal lan- 

7 



194 BIBLE MANUAL. 




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Latin Bible. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 195 

guages of the world. Up to the present time the Bible has 
been published in more than 500 languages or dialects. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is probably the date of the oldest Hebrew copy of the 
Old Testament? 

What can you tell about the rules of the Talmudists respecting the 
making of copies of their Holy Scriptures? 

In what respect does the Masoretic text differ from the writing 
of the ancient Hebrews? 

What do we mean by the "Samaritan Pentatuch?" Where is the 
oldest copy of it now? 

Which are the three most ancient Greek Mss. of the Bible that 
have as yet been found? 

When was the Sinaitic Codex found? By whom? Where? 

Where are these ancient Mss. at the present time? 

W T hat caused the necessity of translating the Bible? 

Of which ancient translation have fragments been preserved? 

Which is the most important Latin version of the Bible? 

Who prepared the Vulgate version? When was it finished? 

What importance has the Vulgate version in the Roman church ? 



196 BIBLE MANUAL. 



Lesson 5. 



GERMAN AND ENGLISH VERSIONS 
OF THE BIBLE. 

The Bible student should also know the most important 
facts about the German and English versions of the Bible; 
for these were very important as a means of spreading the 
Word of God. 

1. The Gothic Bible is the first version that was written 
in a Germanic language. This version was prepared about the 
middle of the fourth century by Bishop Ulfila. A most no- 
table fragment of this translation is preserved in the Univer- 
sity at Upsala, Sweden. The writing is in letters of silver 
and gold on red vellum. The divisions are not according to 
chapters and verses, but in portions of various lengths. The 
first line of each division is written in letters of gold. This 
valuable Ms. is probably the oldest specimen of German lit- 
erature. 

2. Luther's German Bible, based upon the original 
Hebrew and Greek versions, is the most important German 
version of the Bible. The New Testament appeared in 1522; 
the entire Bible in 1534. Luther's translation was received 
with the greatest enthusiasm. From 1534-1574, more than 
100,000 copies were sold. The importance of this work of 
Luther can hardly be conceived. Up to the present day 
Luther's translation is the basis of all German editions of the 
Bible. The appearance of Luther's Bible was also the reason 
why the Roman church translated the Bible into the language 
of the people, though this church, as a matter of principle, 
earnestly protests against the distribution of the Bible among 
the "laity." 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSON'S. 



19? 



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Gothic Manuscript. 



198 BIBLE MANUAL. 

3. Early English Versions of the Bible. As far 

as we know, the whole Bible was never translated into Anglo- 
Saxon. The earliest Anglo-Saxon translations were made in 
the seventh century by Caedmon of Whitby, who embodied 
the most prominent events of Bible history in his Anglo-Saxon 
poetry, and by Bede the Venerable, who translated the Lord's 
Prayer and the Gospel of John. A translation of the four 
Gospels made in the ninth century by priests of Harewood 
and called The Rush-worth Gloss, is in the Bodleian Library 
at Oxford. Alfred the Great translated the Ten Command- 
ments, the Psalms and some portions of Exodus and other 
books. Aelfric, Archbishop of Canterbury, translated a con- 
siderable portion of the historical books. In the twelfth 
century a monk named Orm, or Ormin, wrote a paraphrase 
of the Gospels and Acts in English verse. This is known as 
the Ormulum. (All these versions were made from the Vul- 
gate.) 

4. Wycliffe's Bible. John Wycliffe (1320?-1384) a 
religious reformer and theologian, desiring to arouse the com- 
mon people to a more vital religious life, sent out devoted men 
to spread the gospel in the native tongue. To bring home the 
living truths of religion and to make this preaching effective 
with the masses, Wycliffe undertook to translate the whole 
Bible into English. The Apocalypse was translated first, then 
the complete New Testament. Aided by his friend Nicholas 
de Hereford, Wycliffe completed the great task before his 
death, 1834. A few years later, Wycliffe's Bible was revised 
by John Purvey. The language of this edition, though simpli- 
fied in style, is less literal than the earlier version. In spite 
of opposition the circulation was so wide that 150 copies are 
still extant. Wycliffe's Bible not only gave a strong impulse 
to sacred study, but stimulated the desire for the Scriptures in 
the language of the people and its impress can be traced in 
every later version of the English Bible up to the present time. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 199 






' SKutueemfttecft 3Jefu(£ fcifft: fcrrflfen^m 



Luther's German Bible. 



:300 BIBLE MANUAL. 

5. Tyndale's Bible. A century after Wycliffe's death, 
William Tyndale was born, whose translation of the Bible ex- 
ercised the strongest and most widely diffused literary influ- 
ence of the time. By this time Wyckliffe's English had be- 
come obsolete. Tyndale's Bible may be said to have done 
for the English language, what Luther's Bible did for the 
German. The language of our modern "Authorized Version" 
is virtually due to Tyndale's Bible. Tyndale's translation is 
based on the original Hebrew and Greek versions, not on the 
Vulgate. In 1525 he began to publish the New Text in Co- 
logne, and finished it in Worms, 1526. In 1535, the year be- 
fore his martyrdom, he published his last edition. 

6. Other English Versions of the Bible. At the re- 
quest of Cromwell, Miles Coverdale published a translation 
of the Bible in 1535, this being the first publication of the 
whole Bible in English after Wycliffe's. Coverdale's version 
is much inferior to Tyndale's. In 1537 Matthew's Bible was 
published. This was the assumed name of John Rogers, the 
first martyr in Queen Mary's reign. By royal proclamation 
of Henry VIII. a copy was ordered to be set up in every 
church. This, therefore, was the first authorised version. 
In 1539, Richard Travener published a revised edition of 
Matthew's Bible. In the same year the Great Bible was pub- 
lished. This name had its origin in the great size, 15 inches 
long and 9 inches wide. A revision of the Great Bible, pub- 
lished in 1540 is known as Cranmer's Bible. In 1560 ap- 
peared the Geneva Bible which was published by exiles from 
England, among whom were some of the most eminent 
scholars of that time. Tyndale's version is the basis of this 
translation. It was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and is the 
first English Bible that omits the Apocrypha and is divided 
into verses. In 1568 the Bishops' Bible was published. It 
was based on the Great Bible, adopted the division into verse 
from the Geneva Bible, but never became popular. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 



201 




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FAC-SDlOl* OP ST. MATT XXXI. 1—15 IN TYNPALB'S FIBST TESTAMENT (OCTAVO EDITION). 



William Tyndaxe's first New Testament was printed at Cologne in 1525 and sent to England 
In 1526. It was the first edition of the New Testament printed in English. In 153J Tyndale pub- 
lished at Antwerp a revised edition. [Consult page 28 of these Aids.) 



Ancient English Bible. 



202 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Two other versions must be mentioned, the Rhemish 
Version and the Doway Bible (or Douay Bible) which were 
prepared by Roman Catholic scholars. The New Testament 
was published in 1582, the Old Testament in 1609. The 
translation is based on the Vulgate. 

7. The Authorized Version and the Revised Version. 
In 1606, King James L, yielding to the demand of the Puri- 
tans for a new or revised translation of the Bible, appointed 
a number of scholars (forty-seven are mentioned by name) 
to whom was assigned the task of revising the English trans- 
lation of the Bible, known as the Bishops' Bible. The work 
was completed and published in A. D. 1611, and was dedi- 
cated to James I. This Authorized Version gradually super- 
ceded the Bishop's Bible and the Geneva Bible; in fact its in- 
fluence has made the English language what it is. This Au- 
thorized version is now in general use throughout the English 
speaking world. 

The Revised Version of the New Testament was pub- 
lished in 1881, of the Old Testament in 1885. By substitu- 
ting modern terms for obsolete ones, simplifying difficult pas- 
sages, precise reproduction of the tenses and compound verbs, 
by printing all poetry as such and not as prose and similar 
changes, the English rendering in this version corresponds 
more nearly with the originals than that of any former ver- 
sion of the Bible and it is therefore indispensable and invalu- 
able to Bible students, 

QUESTIONS. 

Which is the oldest version of the Bible in a Germanic language? 
What do you know about the Gothic Bible? Where is this Ms. now 
preserved ? 

When was Luther's Bible published? How was it received? Why 
was this translation, so important? 

Mention some of the earliest translations into the Anglo-Saxon 
tongue. On what version are all these translations based? 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 203 

What induced Wycliffe to translate the Bible? Who was his 
assistant? When was the work completed? What was the importance 
of this work? 

What influence did Tyndale's translation of the Bible have ? What 
makes this version so important? 

Mention some other English versions of the Bible. Which version 
was the first that was divided into verses? 

What versions were prepared by Roman Catholic priests? 

How did the "authorized version" originate? When was it com- 
pleted? What can be said of its influence? 

In what does the value and importance of the "Revised Version" 
lie? 

REVIEW. 

Write a short essay on one or more of the following topics : 

1. A short history of the Bible. 

2. What a Christian ought to know about the origin and trans- 
mission of the Holy Scriptures. 

3. The ancient manuscripts of the Bible. 

4. Our English Bible. 



204 BIBLE MANUAL. 

II. BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY AND INSTITUTIONS. 

Lesson 6. 

THE COUNTRIES OF THE BIBLE. 

To read the Bible intelligently it is necessary to have some 
knowledge of the countries which are mentioned therein. 

I. The Old Testament World. 

The countries mentioned in the Old Testament covered 
an area about half as large as the area of the United States. 
It was about 1200 miles in length from East to West, and 
about 900 miles in length from North to South, and included 
portions of Asia, Africa and Europe. (See map.) 

1. Countries (Nations). The most important of the coun- 
tries mentioned in the Old Testament are : 

a. Chaldea, bordering on the Persian Gulf. Its capital 
was Babylon, the most important city of ancient times. 
JJr, the native city of Abraham, was in Chaldea. It is 
also believed that the site of the Garden of Eden was 
in this country. 

b. Assyria lay somewhat northeast of Chaldea. Its 
chief city was Nineveh, that great city to which the 
prophet Jonah was sent. 

c. Persia lay east of the Gulf of Persia. The Persian 
empire also included the countries of Media and Elam. 
The chief city was Shnshan. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 205 

b. Mesopotamia lay west of Assyria between the 
Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Haran was its chief city. 
Abraham and Jacob for a time lived in Mesopotamia. 

e. Armenia lay north of Mesopotamia. This is the 
country in which Noah's ark settled in the mountains 
of Ararat, after the flood. 

/. Phoenicia was a narrow stretch of land bordering on 
the Mediterranean Sea, north of Canaan. Tyre and 
Sidon were its chief cities. 

g. Syria lay east of Phoenicia and west of Mesopotamia. 
Damascus (today the oldest city of the world) was 
its capital. 

h. Egypt lay in the northeastern part of Africa. This 
is the country in which Israel was in bondage. In this 
country lay Goshen. The capital was On. 

i. Canaan, the most important country, the land of 
promise, lay east of the Mediterranean Sea. Its capi- 
tal was Jerusalem. 

2. Rivers. The following rivers should be noted: 

a. Tigris River, forming the eastern boundary of Meso- 
potamia is probably the river Hiddekel mentioned in 
the Bible. 

b. Euphrates River, having its source in the mountains 
of Ararat, flows southeastward into the Gulf of Persia. 

c. Nile River in Africa, flows northward into the Medi- 
terranean Sea. In the Bible this river, is called the 
River of Egypt. 

d. Jordan River is the most important river of Canaan, 
flowing from the Mountains of Lebanon southward 
into the Dead Sea. 



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206 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 207 

3. Mountains. Note the following: 

a. The mountains of Ararat in Armenia. 

b. The Lebanon mountains in Canaan. 
C. Mt. Sinai in Arabia. 

d. Mt. Nebo east of Jordan. 

e. Mt. Carmel, near the Great Sea. 

4. Seas and Lakes. The following four should be remem- 
bered : 

a. The Great Sea (Mediterranean). 

b. The Red Sea, between Egypt and Arabia. 

c. The Dead Sea in Canaan. 

d. The Sea of Galilee, north of the Dead Sea. 

QUESTIONS. 

How large was the area of the Old Testament world? 
Name the countries of the Old Testament World and locate them 
On the map. 

Name the chief cities of Chaldea, Assyria, Persia, -Syria and 
Canaan. 

In what country is Mt. Ararat? 

What was the chief city of Mesopotamia? 

Which is the oldest city of the world today? 

Name and locate on the map, 4 rivers of the Old Testament. 

Name and locate the most important mountains of the Old Tes- 
tament. 

Name and locate the most important seas of the Old Testament. 

Note — Drawing outline maps is one of the best methods of im- 
pressing geographical facts upon the memory. 




203 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 209 

Lesson 7. 
THE COUNTRIES OF THE BIBLE— Continued. 

II. The New Testament World. 

1. The New Testament World. By comparing the 

map of the New Testament World with the map of the Old 
Testament World, we notice that the sphere of action of New 
Testament history lies westward of that of Old Testament 
history. As in the Old Testament World, so also in the New 
Testament World, Canaan is the center. Thence the history 
moves westward and consequently we must note the provinces 
of Asia Minor, Europe and Northern Africa as also the divi- 
sions of Palestine. 

a. The Holy Land. The name Palestine, by which this 
country has been known since the time of Christ, is derived 
from the word "Philistine," the name of one of the strong 
heathen nations which lived there in ancient times. In the 
Bible this country is called Canaan, or Land of Israel or Judaea. 
It is about 1 50 miles long and about fifty miles broad and for 
the most part is mountainous. 

b. Divisions of Palestine in the Time of Christ. The 

accompanying map shows the provinces and most important 
places of Palestine in the time of Christ. 

1. Provinces. Galilee, Samaria, Judaea, Peraea and 

Bashan (Ituraea). 

2. Rivers and Lakes. The Jordan is the main river ; the 

Sea of Galilee (also called Sea of Tiberius and 
Lake Genezareth), and the Dead Sea are the most 
important lakes. 




210 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 211 

3. Mountains. Hermon, Tabor, Mt. Olivet. 

Cities. Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, Nain, Sichar, 
Caeserea, Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Bethany, 
Gaza, Tyre, Sidon. 

b. Asia Minor and Other Countries. The provinces 
of Asia Minor and some provinces in Europe and Africa are 
mentioned so often in the New Testament that we show them 
on a separate chart. 

1. Provinces of Asia Minor. Cilicia, Cappadocia, Lydia, 

Lycaonia, Pontus, Pisidia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, 
Bithynia, Mysia, Galatia. 

2. Provinces hi Europe. Macedonia, Illyria, Greece 

(Achaia), Italy. 

3. Provinces in Africa. Lybia, Egypt. 

4. Islands. Cyprus, Crete, Silicia, Malta, Patmos (a 

small island near Ephesus). 

Note — It is not necessary that the student memorize all 
these items; he should study the maps carefully, so that he 
may be able, when reading the Bible, to locate on the map any 
place that is mentioned. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

What do we notice when we compare the map of the Old Testa- 
ment world with that of the New Testament world? 

What country forms the center of Bible History? 

Describe the size and nature of Palestine. 

Draw an outline map of Palestine, indicating the various provinces. 

Locate on the map: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, 
Jericho. 

Name two provinces or countries of Europe, Africa and Asia 
Minor. 

Locate the cities: Rome, Ephesus, Corinth. 

Name five islands in the Mediterranean sea. 



212 



BIBLE MANUAL. 







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SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 213 

Lesson 8. 
BIBLICAL INSTITUTIONS. 

1. By the Fall of Man, his cordial relations to and free 
communion with God were disturbed and interrupted. Sin 
now stands as a barrier between man and God. Man can ap- 
proach God now only as a culprit who needs reconciliation 
with God. This is revealed plainly in the Religious Rites and 
Institutions which the Bible very accurately describes. 

2. These rites and institutions also have a symbolical 
meaning. They typify and foreshadow the reconciliation of 
man to the restoration of the communion with God, which had 
been disturbed through sin ; and they point forward to the 
great work of atonement which was wrought by Christ Jesus. 

3. Since the Bible continually refers to these rites and 
institutions it is necessary to note the main facts concerning 
them. 

I. The Altar. 

a. The Altar is the center of Old Testament religious 
worship. The first mention of it in the Bible occurs in the 
history of Noah, who built "an altar unto the Lord" after 
the flood. (But no doubt the altar had been in use since the 
days of Adam.) Such altars were generally built of unhewn 
stones. The first mention of another form occurs in the de- 
scription of the Tabernacle and its vessels. 

h. The Altar was the Place of Sacrifice. The people 

of Israel offered the following sacrifice on the altar: 

« 

The sacrifice of Burnt Offering. 
The sacrifice of Sin Offering. 



214 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



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The Altar. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 215 

The sacrifice of Trespass Offering. 
The sacrifice of Meat Offering. 

With the exception of the Meat Offerings, these sacri- 
fices consisted chiefly of clean beasts. These were slain and 
then burnt upon the altar under the observance of special 
ceremonies. 

The Peace Offerings were mostly burnt offerings. 

c. The heathen nations also offered human sacrifices 
unto their idols. These however were strictly forbidden in 
Israel because they were an abomination before God. Never- 
theless some of the kings of Israel sinned in this matter, and 
drew upon themselves the anger of the Lord. 

The Tabernacle. 

a. The Tabernacle was erected after the deliverance of 
the children of Israel out of Egypt, according to the instruc- 
tions which Moses received from God at Mt. Sinai. All parts 
of the tabernacle were portable. (This was necessary on ac- 
count of the journeying of the people). The tabernacle 
proper was a framework of boards, overlaid with gold. The 
ceiling over this framework was formed by curtains of pre- 
cious linen, and over the whole tabernacle was pitched a tent 
consisting of three coverings. By means of curtains, the 
tabernacle was divided into two parts, the "Holy Place" and 
the "Holy of Holies." Also by means of pillars and curtains 
an outer Court was formed around the tabernacle enclosing 
a space about 150 feet long by 75 feet wide. 

b. The Equipment of the Tabernacle. In the most 
holy place, the Holy of Holies, stood the Ark of the Covenant. 
This was an oblong chest made of wood, overlaid with pure 
gold, within and without. The lid of this ark was made of 
beaten gold with two cherubim formed above it. This was 
called The Mercy-seat. Inside this ark were the two tables 



216 



BIBLE MANUAL. 




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TABERNACLE. 



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The Tabernacle. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 217 

of stone on which the ten commandments were written, a jar 
containing manna, Aaron's rod and the Book of Law. The 
Ark of the covenant was the symbol of the presence of God. 

In the Holy Place stood the Altar of Incense (also called 
the "golden altar"), the golden Candlestick, and the Table of 
Shewbread. 

In the outer Court stood the Altar of Burnt Offering 
(the "brazen altar") and the Laver (a brazen vessel for 
water). 

c. The Israelites were not permitted to enter into the 
Holy Place nor into the Most Holy Place. Only the priests 
were permitted to enter the Tabernacle; and only the high 
priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place — and that 
only at certain times. Yet all Israelites were permitted to enter 
the outer Court and to bring their offerings which the priests 
sacrificed upon the altar. 

III. The Temple. 

a. During the reign of King Solomon, the Temple was 
built. This was a magnificent building. The dimensions of 
the temple proper, were just twice as large as those of the 
tabernacle. The interior arrangement was also the same as 
that of the tabernacle. The temple, however, had many more 
vessels and these were larger. Solomon's Temple, as it is 
generally called, stood about 400 years and then was destroyed 
by the Chaldeans. 

b. After the return of the Jews from their captivity, 
this temple was rebuilt; but it was not so magnificent as the 
Temple of Solomon. 

c. The temple which was in Jerusalem at the time of 
Jesus is known as the Temple of King Herod, because Herod 
the Great had rebuilt and enlarged it at great cost so that its 



21S 



BIBLE MANUAL. 




SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 219 

magnificence equalled that of the first temple. As may be seen 
from the accompanying illustration, the temple consisted of a 
number of buildings, porches, chambers, etc. 

IV. The Synagogue. 

In the New Testament we often come upon the term 
"Synagogue" or "Synagogue of the Jews." Jesus was wont 
to teach in these synagogues and in this the apostles followed 
his example. These synagogues were places in which the 
Jews assembled for the purpose of studying the Law of Moses 
and the Scriptures of the Prophets. It is generally accepted 
that these synagogues originated during the time of the Baby- 
lonian captivity. At the time of Jesus, such synagogues were 
found in almost every place where Jews sojourned. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

How was man's intercourse and communion with God influenced 
by the Fall of Adam? 

To what need of man do the various religious rites and institu- 
tions point? 

In what respect have they typical meaning? 
What was the meaning of the Altar? 
Describe the arrangement of the Tabernacle. 
What vessels of worship stood in the court? 
Who built the first Temple? 
What were the Synagogues? 
What purpose did they serve? 



220 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 9. 

BIBLICAL INSTITUTIONS— Continued. 

V. Festivals and Festal Seasons. 

The festivals and festal seasons, mentioned in the Bible, 
had an important and far-reaching influence upon the whole 
national life of the Israelites. In the first place of course 
they served to promote public worship ; but they also served 
to deepen the religious life and to strengthen the national and 
political consciousness of the people. The following outline 
will serve to impress these festal seasons upon the memory of 
the student. 

1. The three main festivals were: 

a. The Passover, celebrated in commemoration of the 

deliverance of Israel out of the bondage in Egypt. 

b. Pentecost or Feast of Weeks, was the feast of the 

harvest. Its importance for us lies in the fact, 
that on the great day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit 
was bestowed upon the church. 

c. The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated in com- 

memoration of Israel's journeyings in the wilder- 
ness. 

2. The three secondary festivals were: 

a. The Feast of Trumpets, being a new year festival, 

marked the beginning of the Jewish civil year. It 
was also a new moon feast and very solemnly ob- 
served. 

b. The Feast of Dedication was instituted by Judas 

Maccabaeus in commemoration of the purification 
of the temple, B. C. 164. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 221 

c. The Feast of Piirim was celebrated to commemorate 
the deliverance of the Jews from the destruction 
plotted against them by Haman at the time of 
Queen Esther. 

3. Special Festal Days. 

a. The Sabbath stood first among the feasts observed 

by the Jews. It was the day of rest and religious 
worship, the seventh day of each week. 

b. The Day of Atonement was the most important of 

all the festal days in Israel. It was a day of fast- 
ing, repentance and prayer for the entire nation. 
It was on this day only that the high priest entered 
into the Most Holy Place, to make an atonement 
for himself and the people with the blood of the 
sin offering. It was a symbol of the atonement of 
mankind by the blood of Jesus Christ. 

4. Other Festal Seasons. 

a. The Sabbatic Year. Every seventh year was ob- 

served as a year of rest, as every seventh day was 
observed as a day of rest. 

b. The Year of Jubilee. Every fiftieth year was a year 

of jubilee. This was the year of release and lib- 
eration, in which all slaves (Jewish) were set free, 
and the fields were restored to their original 
owners. 

(There is some difficulty, however, in determining satis- 
factorily, whether the year of jubilee was the fiftieth or forty- 
ninth year.) 



222 BIBLE MANUAL. 

IV. Weights, Measures and Coins. 

The following tables may serve the students for reference : 

1. a. Measure of lengths. 

1 Reed = 6 cubits, approx. 11 ft. 9.2 in. 

1 Cubit = 2 spans, " 1 ft. 9.8+ in. 

1 Span = 3 palms, 10.9+ in. 

1 Palm = " 3.6+ in. 

b. Liquid Measure. 

1 Homer = 10 ephahs 

(or baths) " 75 gal. 5% pts. 

1 Ephah = 6 hin " 7 gal. Ay 2 pts. 

1 Hin = 1 gal. 2 pts. 

c. Dry Measure. 

1 Homer = 10 ephahs " 32 pk. 

1 Ephah = 10 Omers " 3 pk. and 3 pt. 

1 Omer = 1 pk. and 1 pt. 

d. Weights. 

1 Talent = 3600 shekels, about 158 lbs. 1 oz. Troy 
1 Shekel = 20gerahs " lOpwt. 13 gr. 

1 Gerah = 12.6 gr. 

2. In regard to money and coins, it must be borne in 
mind that in some passages the Bible refers to Hebrew coins, 
in others to Persian, or to Roman coins. In commercial trans- 
actions larger amounts of precious metals were weighed out; 
the use of coins was confined to smaller amounts. 

1 Talent (of gold) O. I\, was worth about $32520.00 

1 Talent (of silver) O. T., was worth about $1820 00 

1 Shekel (gold) ' 60c 

1 Shekel (silver) 64c 

1 Denarius (penny) (silver) 16c 

1 Lepton (mite) — less than %c 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 



223 




224 



BIBLE MANUAL. 



Blackboard Outline. 



Religious Rites and Institutions. 


I. Altar 


i 

Sacrifices 


Burnt offering 
Sin offering 
Trespass offering 
Meat offering 
Peace offering 




Ministers 

[ 


High Priest 

Priests 

Levites 




Court 


' Alter of Burnt of- 
fering 
_ Laver 


II. Tabernacle 


Holy Place 


Alter of Incense 
Table of Shew- 
bread 
_ Golden Candlestick 




Most Holy Place ■ 


Ark of Covenant 


III. Temple 


Solomon 
Zerubbabel. 
. Herod 




IV. Synagogue 






V. Feasts 


Feasts 


' Passover 
Pentecost 
Tabernacles 
Dedication 
Feast of Trumpets 
Purim 




Festal days 


■ Sabbath 
Day of Atonement 




Festal seasons 


i Sabbatical year 
I Year of Jubilee 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 225 

QUESTIONS. 

Which were the main feasts of the Israelites? 

Which feast commemorated the deliverance out of Egypt? 

Which feast commemorated the journeyings in the wilderness? 

What was the purpose of the feast of Purim? 

Why was the Feast of Dedication observed? 

What took place on each day of Atonement? 

What was the significance of this day? 

What was the meaning of the year of Jubilee? 

Note — The Blackboard Outline' should be used often to render 
the student familiar with the various rites mentioned in the Bible; 
but it is not necessary to memorize the tables of weights, measures, etc. 
These are to be used for reference when reading the Bible, the 
object of all the lessons being to assist the student in reading his 
Bible so that he may understand what he reads. 



226 BIBLE MANUAL. 

HI. BIBLICAL FIGURES OF SPEECH. 

Lesson 10. 
INTRODUCTION. 

1. The student will find that the study of the biblical fig- 
ures of speech is not only fascinating, but also a very great 
help to the understanding of the Scriptures. 

2. The following lessons have been prepared especially for 
use in Teachers' Training Classes. The teacher must know 
how to disclose the spiritual wealth, the wonderful sweetness, 
the beauty and power of the Scriptures to his pupils, and must 
teach them how to read the Bible intelligently. To be able to 
do this, it is necessary to have some understanding of the Fig- 
ures of Speech that occur so frequently in the Bible. The pupil 
must learn to express thoughts when he reads, not merely 
words. Without some knowledge of the figures of speech, the 
teacher will not be able to give his pupils proper instruction in 
this respect. The author of this book is here reminded of a 
devout teacher who once read the passage Matt. 5 :2 with the 
following emphasis : 

"And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying," etc. 

(Compare the remarks on emphasis in Suppl. Lesson 13. 

3. The exquisite beauty of the language of the Bible is due 
in no small degree to the many and varied figures of speech 
employed by the sacred writers. In our English version of the 
Bible these have to some extent been effaced, except in some 
very literal translations. Some figures of speech, indeed cannot 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 227 

be reproduced in any translation, as, for example, the verse 
Gen. 49:19 in the blessing of Jacob: 

"Gad, a troop shall overcome him ; but he shall overcome at 
last." 

In the Hebrew this verse runs thus : 

"Gad gadood iagoodenoo 
Vahoo iagood akab." 

Here a play is made upon the word Gad : 

"Gad, gadood, iagood, iagood." Such figure of speech can 
hardly be reproduced in any other language. 

4. There are, however, two classes of figures of speech 
which are also found in the translations, with which, therefore, 
every reader of the Bible should acquaint himself. 

These two classes are : 

I. Figures of Emphasis; that is to say, such figures of 
speech by means of which certain expressions or thoughts 
are made more emphatic by the repetition, omission or trans- 
position of words or phrases, or by presenting the thought in 
the form of a question, an exclamation, a denial or in some 
ether manner, 

II. Figures of Imagery (tropes) ; that is, such figures 
of speech in which the thought is expressed in a figurative, typ- 
ical manner, so that we have two ideas, two thoughts, or even 
two series of thoughts, aside each other : the figure or symbol 
and the truth symbolized. 

These two classes of figures of speech will be discussed in 
the following lessons. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is meant by a figure of speech? 

Why is a knowledge of these necessary for the S. S. teacher? 



228 BIBLE MANUAL. 

In what manner will such knowledge prove helpful for the inter- 
pretation of the Bible? 

How do these figures of speech reveal the beauty of the Bible 
language ? 

Why cannot all figures of speech be reproduced in the translations 
of the Bible? 

Into what two classes have we divided the biblical figures of speech? 

What is meant by figures of emphasis? 

What is meant by figures of imagery, or tropes ? 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 229 

Lesson 11. 

I. FIGURES OF EMPHASIS. 

Parallelism and Repetition. 
Ellipsis, Pleonasm and Antithesis. 

1. Parallelism. Whereas, in our English hymns, we have 
Rhythm and Rhyme (that is, recurrent groups of long and 
short syllables, according to a fixed rule, with lines ending 
in syllables of similar tone), Hebrew poetry has various 
forms of Parallelism. 

a. Sentences or parts of sentences are sometimes arranged 

symmetrically in pairs or in groups of three, four, 
or even more parts, of certain proportions'. 

"The Lord is my shepherd; 
I shall not want. 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ; 
He leadeth me beside the still waters." Ps. 23. 

b. Sometimes the same thought is repeated in some varia- 

tion of language : 

"Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; 

The mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold 

upon them; 
All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away." 

Exod. 15:15. 

c. The second sentence sometimes expresses an idea op- 

posed to the idea of the first sentence: 

"The wicked flee when no man pursueth; 
But the righteous are bold as a lion." Prov. 28:1. 



230 BIBLE MANUAL. 

d. The second sentence sometimes gives a reason for the 
first: 

"Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house; 
Lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee." 

Prov. 25:17. 

"I will take no bullock out of thy house, 
Nor he-goats out of thy folds. 
For every beast of the forest is mine, 
The cattle upon a thousand hills." Ps. 50:9, 10. 

Thus, and in diverse other ways, parallelisms add to the 
beauty of the poetry of the Bible. 

2. Repetition. 

a. Of words or phrases : 

"(It is) naught (it is) naught, saith the buyer." 

Prov. 20:15. 
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people." Isa. 40:1. 
"Hast thou appealed unto Caeser? 
Unto Caesar shalt thou go." Acts 25:12. 

b. Sometimes a series of sentences begins with the same 

expression: 

"Charity suffereth, long and is kind ; 

Charity envieth not ; 

Charity vaunteth not itself." I. Cor. 13 :4. 
"A land, etc." Deut. 11:8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 

c. Sometimes a series of sentences closes with the same 

expression: 

"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all 
things, endureth all things." I. Cor. 13 :7. 

"Behold, bless ye the Lord, 
All ye servants of the Lord, 

Which by night stand in the house of the Lord. 
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the 
Lord." Ps. 134:1, 2. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 231 

d. Two sentences may begin or close with the same ex- 

pression: 

"Ye (are) idle; (ye are) idle." Exod. 5:17. 

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills whence cometh 
my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which 
made heaven and earth." Ps. 121 :1, 2. 

"Be ye holy; for I am holy." I. Pet. 1:16. 

e. A choral refrain: 

"At the brightness that was before him his thick 
clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The 
Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the 
Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of 
fire." Ps. 18:12, 13. 

"For fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty." 

Isa. 2:10, 19 and 21. 

"For his mercy endureth forever." Ps. 136. 26 times. 
See also Deut. 27:15-26; Ps. 24. 

/. The same expression at the beginning and at the close 
of a psalm: 

"Bless the Lord, O my soul." Ps. 103 ; Ps. 104. 
"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all 
the earth." Ps. 8:1, 9. 

g. The repetition sometimes appears in different parts of 
speech of the same root, viz.: 

A. Noun and verb: 

"Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for 
you." I. Pet. 5:7. 

B. Noun and adjective: 

"Give (instruction) to the wise, and he will be yet 
wiser. Prov. 9:9. 

h. Different forms of the same part of speech; as the 
active and the passive of the verb in: 

''Turn thou me, and I shall be turned." Jer. 31 :18. 



232 BIBLE MANUAL. 

By such manifold repetitions is the thought expressed with 
greater emphasis. 

3. Ellipsis. 

In this figure of speech all words obviously understood, 
are omitted. As a rule, a thought becomes more 
emphatic if it is expressed as briefly as possible. 
This figure is almost invariably employed in com- 
mands. The translations of the Bible often insert 
the omitted words and thus weaken the emphasis. 
In our English Bible these added words are printed 
in italics, and should not be stressed. 

Examples: The beautitudes properly read: 
"Blessed the poor in spirit . . ." 
"Blessed they that mourn . . ." 
"Blessed the meek . . ." etc. Matt. 5. 
"Then said I, Lord, how long?" Isa. 6:11. 
"My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins 

(are)." I. Ki. 12:10. 
"Away with this (man)!" Luke 23:18. 
"Away with such!" Acts 22:22. 

"And the leper . . . shall cry, Unclean, Unclean!" 

Lev. 13:45. 

4. Pleonasm. 

This figure is the counterpart of the previous : more words 
being employed than are actually needed to express 
the thought. 

Gen. 29:1 translated literally runs thus: 

"Then Jacob lifted up his feet and came into the land 

of the children of the east." 
"The people lifted up their voice and wept." Judg. 2 :4. 
"The prophets, do they live forever?" Zech. 1:5. 
"That . . . which we have seen with our eyes." 

1. Jno. 1:1. 
"Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Ps. 23:4. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 233 

5. Antithesis. 

This figure is another kind of parallelism ; the two mem- 
bers expressing ideas which are opposed to each 
other. Thus the contrast is brought out more 
clearly and the main thought emphasized. 

"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be re- 
moved ; but my kindness shall not depart from 
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be 
removed." Isa. 54:10. 

"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding; 
but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." 

Prov. 14:29. 

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; 
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness ; 
that put bitter for sweet and sweet ior bitter!" 

Isa, 5:20. 

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to re- 
pentance." Mark 2:17. 

"Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto 
bonds ; but the word of God is not bound." 

II. Tim. 2 :9. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Study the examples given in this lesson carefully, and note particu- 
larly how clearness, accuracy and emphasis of an idea is brought out by 
the figures of speech. 

Find 20 parallelisms in the Bible. 

Find the repetitions in Exod. 15 ; Judg. 5 ; Job 1 ; Ps. 103 ; Prov. 
31 ; Matt. 6. 

Find 5 examples of Ellipsis and 5 of Pleonasm in the Bible. 

Find the antitheses in Prov. 11. 



234 BIBLE MANUAL. . 

Lesson 12. 

FIGURES OF EMPHASIS— Continued. 

Rhetorical Question, Exclamation, Definite or Round 
Numbers, Asyndeton, Polysyndeton, Irony, Rhe- 
torical Command, The Smallest Possible 
or the Largest Possible. 

6. Rhetorical Question. A rhetorical question is one which 
is not asked for the purpose of receiving an answer, but 
for the purpose of very strongly affirming a truth or fact 
or denying the contrary. 

"Who is he that condemneth ?" Rom. 8:34. (Answer: 
No one.) 

"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell 
you the truth?" Gal. 4:16. (Answer: No.) 

"Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we 
stronger than He?" I. Cor. 10:22. 

"But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft 
raiment?" Matt. 11:8. 

"Canst thou send lightenings, that they may go and say 
unto thee, Here we are?" Job 38:35. 

"I have told you already and ye did not hear; where- 
fore would ye hear it again?" Jno. 9:27. 

"Hast thou not known? Hyst thou not heard? (that) 
the everlasting God, the Lord . . . fainteth not, 
neither is weary?" Isa. 40:28. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 235 

7. Exclamation. This figure is generally used to express 
praise, censure, a curse, a blessing, etc. 

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of 

the ungodly, etc." Ps. 1:1; Ps. 127:5; Ps. 128:1, 2. 

"How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!" 

Ps. 84:1. 
"Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker !" 
Isa. 45:9; Isa. 5:8, 10, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22; Matt. 23:13-29. 
"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man !" Jer. 17 :5. 
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord !" 

Jer. 17:7. 

"How beautiful are the feet, etc." Rom. 10:15. 

8. Definite or Round Numbers. These are not to be taken 

literally, but are used only to emphasize certain facts very 
strongly. 

"I say not unto thee, Until seven times ; but until 
seventy times seven!" (That is often.) 

Matt. 18:22. 

"They said unto us ten times." Neh. 4:12. 
"How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten 
thousand to flight, etc." Deut. 32:30. 
(See also Ps. 91:7; Ps. 144:13; Dan. 7:10.) 
"An hundred sheep" — "Ten pieces of silver." Luke 15. 

Observe however, that great care must be taken to de- 
termine whether the number is meant literally, (then we have 
no figure of speech), or whether it means only "very many" 
or "very few," etc. Compare for example, Ps. 3:6; 68:17 with 
Gen.- 20:16. 

9. Asyndeton. This rhetorical figure omits the connectives. 

This is done to emphasize rapidity of action, eagerness, 
etc., in a vivid manner. 

"The enemy said: I will pursue, I will overtake, I 
will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied 
upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall 
destroy them." Exod. 15 :9. 



236 BIBLE MANUAL. 

The Hebrew text has no connectives in this passage. The 
German translation has added them and thereby weakened the 
effect. Compare this whole chapter with the German version. 

"They fought from heaven ; the stars in their courses 
fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept 
them away." Judg. 5:20, 21. 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suf- 
fering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, tem- 
perance." Gal. 5 :22. 

In this last example, the rapid enumeration emphasizes 
the multiplicity of the fruits. 

10. Polysyndeton. This figure is the exact opposite of the 
former. To emphasize the main thought or idea, divers 
other ideas are added by means of many conjunctions. 

"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or breth- 
ren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, 
or children, or lands for my name's sake . . ." 

Matt. 19:29. 

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, 
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor 
things present, nor things to come, nor height, 
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able 
to separate us from the love of God." 

Rom. 8:38, 39. 

"And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn 
over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise 
any more; the merchandise of gold, and silver, 
and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, 
and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine 
wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all 
manner vessels of most precious wood, and of 
brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and 
odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and 
wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, 
and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, 
and souls of men." Rev. 18:11-13. 






SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. S37 

11. Irony. In this figure of speech the words seem to mean 
one thing, whereas in fact they mean the contrary. When, 
for example, Job said to his friends : 

"No doubt but ye are the people and wisdom shall 
die with you." Job 12:2. 

he meant just the contrary, namely, that their reasoning 
was foolish. 

"Cry aloud! For he is a god; either he is talking, or 
he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or perad- 
venture he sleepeth, and must be awaked." 

I. Ki. 18:27. 
"Let the Lord be so with you as I will let you go." 

Exod. 10:10. 

12. Rhetorical Command. Great emphasis is given to a 
thought by this figure, as may be seen in the following ex- 
amples : 

"Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! 
Be still ye inhabitants of the isle! 

Be thou ashamed, O Zidon ! 
Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of 

Tarshish ! 
Take an harp, go about the city— make sweet melody, 
sing many songs, that thou mayest be remem- 
bered." Isa. 23. 
"Awake, awake! Put on thy strength, O Zion; put on 
thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city." 

Isa. 52:1. 
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, 
etc." Isa. 55:1. 

13. The Smallest Possible, the Largest Possible, used to 
express limitation or extent. 

a. "I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet." 

Gen. 14:23. 
"There shall not be an hoof left behind." Exod. 10 :29. 
"Shall not a dog move his tongue." Exod. 11:7. 



238 BIBLE MANUAL. 

"For there shall not an hair fall from the head of any 
of you." Acts 27:34. 

"Faith as a grain of mustard seed." Matt. 17:20. 

b. "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though 

thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I 
bring thee down." Obadiah 1 :4. 

"Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens." 

I. Ki. 8:27. 

"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be re- 
moved." Isa. 54:10. 

"The hills melted like wax." Ps. 97 :5. 

"Blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse 
bridles." Rev. 14:20. 

"Nineveh was an exceeding great city" — (Hebrew: 
City of God.) Jonah 3:2. 

"A mighty hunter before the Lord." Gen. 10:9. 

c. "From the first-born of Pharaoh that, sat on his throne 

unto the first born of the captive that was in the 
dungeon." Exod. 12:29. 

"Neither death nor life . . ." Rom. 8:39. 

"Thy pomp is brought down to the grave . . . 
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of 
the morning!" Isa. 14:11, 12. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Find the rhetorical questions in Job 38. 

Find 10 other examples of exclamation. 

Tell whether the numbers in the following passages are to be taken 
literally or figuratively: Ps. 90:4; Deut. 3:4; Ps. 105:8; Ps. 119:72. 

Find 20 rhetorical commands in the book of Isaiah. 

Find 5 examples each of Asyndeton, Polysyndeton and Irony. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 239 

Lesson 13. 

FIGURES OF EMPHASIS— Concluded. 

Emphatic Position, Negation, Assertion, Summation, 
Quotation, Demonstration, The Uttermost. 

14. Emphatic Position. To understand a sentence we must 
know which words are to be emphasized, because the 
meaning is, as a rule, determined by the emphasis. The 
words to be emphasized are usually placed either at the 
beginning or at the close of a sentence, or immediately 
before or after a pause indicated by the punctuation. 

a. "Ye spies; to see the nakedness of the land are ye 

come." Gen. 42:9. 

"Let them be ashamed, which transgress without cause." 

Ps. 25:3. 

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, etc." Ps. 115:1. 
"He hath made us . . ." Ps. 100:3. 

"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom. 8:31. 

b. "We are exceedingly filled with contempt." Ps. 123:3. 
"I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 

Ps. 23:6. 

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are 
the sons of God." Rom. 8:14. 

"He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity." 

Rom. 12:8. 

c. The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Ps. 24:10. 

"They that go down . . . these see the works of 
the Lord." Ps. 107:23, 24. 

"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted 
wise." Prov. 17:28. 



240 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Note: As correct emphasis in reading makes the mean- 
ing of a sentence stand out more clearly, so the meaning is dis- 
torted if the emphasis is placed upon the wrong words. Note 
the different meanings expressed by emphasis in the follow- 
ing examples : 

"Lovest thou me more than these?" 

"Lovest thou me more than these?" Jno. 21 :15. 

"Woe unto thee, O land, when thy king is a child and 

Sthy princes eat in the morning, 
thy princes eat in the morning, 
thy princes eat in the morning." Eccles. 10:16. 
(Which of the three is correct?) 

The text Matt. 5 :8 is generally read thus : 
"Blessed are the pure in heart." 

Whereas it should be emphasized thus: 

"Blessed are the pure in heart" (that is, not only Lev- 
itically clean.) 

Wrong emphasis is often due to the fact that in our Eng- 
lish Bibles such words as do not occur in the Hebrew and 
Greek texts have been inserted and are printed in Italics. This 
is very apt to mislead the reader to emphasize these words, and 
thus to distort the meaning. A striking example of this is 
found in the verse Colossians 3 :19. 

"Husbands love your wives." 

In this verse the word "your" is printed in Italics (mean- 
ing that some of the ancient Mss. do not contain this pronoun, 
but merely the article). Now if the emphasis is laid upon this 
pronoun, the meaning would be : Husbands love your wives — 
not others! But just in this text, this is not the meaning. 

15. Negation (Litotes). This figure is used to affirm a truth 

most strongly. 

"I have not spoken in secret" (but very publicly). 

Isa. 45:19. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 241 

"My kindness shall not depart from thee" (but always 

remain, etc.) Isa. 54:10. 
"Their worm shall not die . . ." Isa. 66:24. 
"For I am God, and not man" Hos. 11 :9. 
"It will surely come, it will not tarry." Hab. 2:3. 
"Thou Bethlehem ... art not the least." Matt. 2 :6. 
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." 

Rom. 1 :16. 

16. Affirmation or Oath. 

"By the life of Pharaoh ..." Gen. 42:15. 
"Behold, before God, I lie not." Gal. 1 :20. 
"By myself have I sworn . . ." Gen. 22:16, 17. 
"But as truly as I live . . ." Num. 14:21. 
"As the Lord liveth . . ." 38 times. 
Compare also Hebr. 6:13; Ps. 89:35. 

17. Summation. At the close of an enumeration of some 
length, the whole is sometimes summed together and for- 
cibly expressed in a few words or a short sentence. 

"For all things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos, 
or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things 
present, or things to come; all are yours" 

I. Cor. 3 :21, 22. 

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor 
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
depth, nor any other creature, etc." Rom. 8 :38, 39. 

"And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he 
sware . . . all come to pass." Josh. 21 :43-45. 

18. Quotation. Sometimes the form of a direct quotation is 
used to express the disposition or sentiment of another 
more forcibly. This may properly be classed among the 
figures of speech, inasmuch as the same thing might be ex- 
pressed without using such an assumed quotation. Thus 



242 BIBLE MANUAL. 

it might very properly be said that the slothful man pre- 
fers to rest at home rather than to work. Instead of that 
the Bible says : 

'The slothful man saith : There is a lion without, I 
shall be slain in the streets." Prov. 22:13. 

Other examples : 

"Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it: What 

makest thou ?" Isa. 45 :9. 
"Yea, he warmeth himself and saith: Aha, I am 

warm." Isa. 44:16. 
(See also Isa. 40:27; Zech. 8:23.) 

19. Demonstration: just as if something were pointed out. 

"Arise, go over this Jordan." Josh. 1:2. 

"If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there, etc." 

Ps. 139:8. 
"Let them . . . that say unto me, Aha, aha!" 

Ps. 40:15. 
"This man receiveth sinners." Luke 15 :2. 

20. The Uttermost that can be conceived as a possibility, 
used to emphasize the main thought. 

"Mine eyes do fail with, tears . . . my liver is 
poured upon the earth . . ." Lam. 2:11. 

"He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones." 

Lam. 3:16. 

"Our necks are under persecution." Lam. 5:5. 

"The mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes 
walk upon it" Lam. 5:18. 

"Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may 
shake." Amos 9:1. 

"Abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth." 

Ps. 72:7. 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Study the following texts, and then state what figures of speech 
they contain. State, also, the reason for your answer. 

"The earth shook, the heaven also dropped at the presence of God; 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 243 

even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of 
Israel." Ps. 68:8. 

"And I said : Oh that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I 
fly away and be at rest." Ps. 55 :6. 

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning 
will I direct my prayer unto thee." Ps. 5 :3. 

"Thou hast put all things under his feet." Ps. 8 :6. 

"The fool hath saith in his heart: There is no God." Ps. 14:1. 

"With the pure wilt thou show thyself pure ; and with the f ro- 
ward thou wilt show thyself froward." Ps. 18:26. 

"Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that per- 
secute me. Say unto my soul : I am thy salvation." Ps. 35 :3. 

"Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me and said : Aha, 
aha, our eye hath seen it." Ps. 35 :21. 

"But the transgressors shall be destroyed together . . . but the 
salvation of the righteous is the Lord." Ps. 37 :38, 39. 

"I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." 
Ps. 46:10. 

"Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beasts 
that perish." Ps. 49:20. 

"Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak 
righteousness." Ps. 52:3. 

"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed ; I will sing and 
give praise." Ps. 57:7. 

"I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice." 
Ps. 77:1. 

"Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine 
anger to all generations?" Ps. 85:5. 

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by 
reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor 
and sorrow." Ps. 90:10. 

"Ye that love the Lord, hate evil." Ps. 97:10. 

"Oh Lord, how manifold are thy works!" Ps. 104:24. 

"I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war." Ps. 120:7. 

"Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jeru- 
salem; who said: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof." 
Ps. 137:7. 



244 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 14. 
II. FIGURES OF IMAGERY (ideal figures or tropes). 

Simile, Comparison, Metaphor. 

1. Synopsis: In these figures we always have two ideas or 
thoughts, or even two series of thoughts — the figure 
or symbol, and the thing symbolized. 

a. When both ideas or objects are named and the one is 

represented as being like or as acting like the 
other, the figure is called a Simile; e. g. "Though 
your sins be as scarlet." 

b. When the one object is said to be greater or less than 

the other in any particular, the figure is called a 
Comparison; e. g. "sweeter than honey" 

c. When the figure of imagery completely identifies one 

object with another in some particular resembling 
it, it is called a Metaphor; e. g. My tongue is the 
pen of a ready writer." 

d. A metaphor may be extended to the proportions of a 

narrative. It is then called an Allegory. An alle- 
gory is a description or story which presents an- 
other, deeper meaning than the words indicate. 
(Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan, is an alle- 
gory.) 

e. A short allegory, relating facts from human life or 

from nature, is called a Parable. A short allegory 
in which irrational beings and animals are intro- 
duced as speaking and acting like human beings, 
is called a Fable. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 245 

/. A trope in which life is ascribed to inanimate objects, 
and feeling or intelligence to things that are with- 
out it, is called Personification; e. g. "All the trees 
shall clap with their hands." "The mountains 
skipped like rams." 

g. When lifeless things or absent persons are addressed 
as if they were present, the figure is called an 
Apostrophe ; e. g. "What ailed thee, O thou sea, 
that thou fleddest?" 

h. The ornamental adjective, Epithet, differs from the 
common adjective in that it does not intend to con- 
vey any more real information than if the name 
of the object were used by itself, but simply to call 
attention to some particular quality; e. g. "The 
cruel sword," "Hoary head." 

The student should now carefully compare the examples 
which follow, with the information given in the above synopsis. 

2. Simile. 

"My beloved is like a roe or a young hart." S. of Sol. 2:9. 
"They sank as lead in the mighty waters." Exod. 15 :10. 
"The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in the vineyard." 

Isa. 1:8. 
"He shall spread forth his hands . . . as he that swimmeth." 

Isa. 25:11. 
"Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter." Isa. 38:14. 
See also: Isa. 30:13; 38:14; Jer. 12:2, 8, 9; 14:6, 8, 9; 17; 
6, 8; 19:11; 22:19; 23:12; 25:34, 38. 

3. Comparison. 

a. "Am I not better to thee than ten sons ?" I. Sam. 1 :8. 
"This man was the greatest of all the men of the east." 

Job 1:3. 
"Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of 
prey." Ps. 76:4. 



246 BIBLE MANUAL. 

b. Sometimes the two ideas are placed side by side and the in- 
feriority of the one is emphasized by a denial. 

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; 
but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." 

Isa. 1:3. 

"Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; 
and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the 
time of their coming; but my people know not the judg- 
ment of the Lord." Jer. 8:7. 

4. Metaphor. 

"The proud waters had gone over our soul." Ps. 124:5. 

"He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about 
him were dark waters and thick clouds of the sky." 

Ps. 18:11. 

"Thine arrows stick fast in me." Ps. 38:2. 

"My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." Ps. 45:1. 

"My soul is among lions." Ps. 57:4. 

"In the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice." Ps. 63:7. 

"By the breath of God frost is given." Job 37:10. 

"Behold the Lamb of God !" Jno. 1 .36. 

5. Metaphorical Verb. 

"Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue." 

Ps. 52:4. 

"My soul thirsteth for God." Ps. 42 :2. 

"Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed 
them." Exod. 15 :12. 

"Moab shall be threshed" (Rev. Ver.) Isa. 25:12. 

"He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root; Israel 
shall blossom and bud." Isa. 27 :6. 

"For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep 
sleep." Isa. 29:10. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 247 

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES. 

Study the synopsis of the figures of imagery and note carefully the 
characteristics of each, so that you can readily discern these figures of 
speech in your reading of the Bible. 

Give a reason why it is necessary for the proper interpretation of 
a Bible text, to know what figure of speech is employed in it. 

In what way do the figures of speech reveal the peculiar beauty 
of the Bible language? 

State what figures of speech are found in the following texts : 

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox 
and hatred therewith." Prov. 15:17. 

"Though ye have been among the pots, yet shall ye be as the 
wings of a dove covered with silver, and her features with 
yellow gold." Ps. 68:13. 

"The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard." Isa. 24 :20. 

"The law of the wise is a fountain of life." Prov. 13 :14. 

"The waters which thou sawest . . . are peoples and mul- 
titudes" Rev. 17:15. 

"Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed." 

Isa. 24:23. 

"He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into 
a large country." Isa. 22:18. 

"Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, 
hath prevailed." Rev. 5 :5. 

The student should look for other examples of figures of speech. 
Making notes of them whenever we read the Bible will not only in- 
crease our interest, but also develop our understanding. 



248 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 15. 
FIGURES OF IMAGERY— Continued. 

Metonymy. 

6. Metonymy. When the figure of speech identifies an ob- 
ject with some other object in some particular like it, 
it is a metaphor; but when any other relationship 
between the two objects is implied we have a meto- 
nymy. These relations are numerous and varied, so 
we have many forms of metonymy. 

1. A part of an object may be put for the whole, or the 

whole for a part. (Synecdoche.) 

a. "Our feet (we) shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." 

Ps. 122:2. 
"Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head." Lev. 19 :32. 
"I will also send the teteth of beasts upon them." Deut. 32:24. 
"Give us this day Our daily bread." Matt. 6:11. 

b. "Thou hast filled me (my skin) with wrinkles." Job. 16:8. 
"Unto thee shall all flesh come." Ps. 65 :2. 

"Preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15. 

rSee also: Eccl. 4:16; Isa. 52:7; Zech. 14:1; Acts 22:3 
Matt 8:8; Gen. 3:19; 19:8; Ps. 145:21; Isa. 40:6; Jer. 
12:12.) 

2. The name of a place is sometimes used for the inhabi- 

tants; the container for the thing contained. 

"Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judaea." Matt. 3 :5. 

"The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink 
it?" Jno. 18:11. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 249 

"Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish 

first." Isa. 60 :9. 
"Keep silence before me, O islands!" Isa. 41:1. 
"Blessed shall be thy basket." Deut. 28:5. 

The name of the author is used for his writings. 
"They have Moses and the prophets." Luke 16:29. 
"And heard him read the prophet Esaias." Acts 8:30. 

The name of the father is used to designate his children 

or descendants. 
"Fear not, thou worm Jacob." Isa. 41 :14. 
"Rachel weeping for her children." Jer. 31 :15. 
"Is Ephraim my dear son?" Jer. 31:20. 
"My servant David (Christ)." Ezek. 34:23. 
"Seek the Lord their God, and David their king." Hosea. 3 :5. 

The material for the thing made of it. 
"Ye clothe you with the wool." Ezek. 34:3. 
"Your gold and silver is cankered." Jas. 5:3. 
"And the iron (ax) did swim." II. Kings 6:6. 
"Warmed with the fleece of my sheep." Job. 31 :20. 
(See also Isa. 10:34.) 

"House" used for "family" or "descendants." 
"Joseph, of the house of David." Luke 1 :27, 69. 
"Let all the house of Israel know." Acts 2 :36. 
"Thou shalt be saved and thy house." Acts 16:31. 

"Blood" used for "blood-guiltiness " "vengeance," 

"atonement" etc. 
"The voice of thy brother's blood crieth . . ." Gen. 4:10. 
"Behold, also his blood is required." Gen. 42:22. 
"Lay not upon us innocent blood." Jona. 1 :14. 
"In whom we have the redemption in his blood" Eph. 1 :7. 
(See also: Lev. 20:9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 27; Ps. 72:14; Prov. 1:15; 

Isa. 1:15; Zech. 9:7.) 



250 BIBLE MANUAL. 

8. "Blood" or "Flesh and blood' 3 used to denote kinship. 
"He is our flesh?" Gen. 37:27. 

"And made of one blood all nations." Acts 17:26. 

9. "Flesh," "flesh and blood" used for "man"; "man" 

used for those of power and high rank, to include 
them in the universal weakness and frailty of 
human nature. 

"I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Ps. 56:4. 

Tlesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee." Matt. 16:17. 

"I conferred not with flesh and blood." Gal. 1 :16. 

"What is man, that he should be clean?" Job. 15:14. 

"Put not your trust in princes, in the son of man, in whom 

there is no help." Ps. 146:3. 
(See also: Ps. 56:5; Jno. 3:6; I. Cor. 15:50; Job 25:6; 

Ps. 9:20; Isa. 31:3; Jer. 16:20; Hos. 11:9.) 

10. "Flesh" in its. sinful nature as opposed to the "Spirit." 
"In me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." 

Rom. 7:18. 
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." Rom. 8:13. 

"Having- begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the 
flesh?" Gal. 3:3. 

11. Members and organs of the body, for the abilities of 

the soul or mind, for speech, etc 

"Thine heart shall utter perverse things." Prov. 23:33. 

"My reins also instruct me." Ps. 16:7. 

"A bountiful eye shall be blessed." Prov. 22:9. 

"Thine own lips testify against thee." Job 15 :6. 

"Her mouth is smoother than oil." Prov. 5:3. 

"Their throat is an open sepulchre." Rom. 3:13. 

(See also: Exod. 31:6"; Deut. 20:1; Job. 23:16; Matt. 6:21; 
Dan. 4:2; Ps. 73:21, 22; Jer. 31:20; II. Tim. 4:3; Eccl. 
2:10; Prov. 25:15; Job 6:30; 30:27.) 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 251 

12. Demonstrative gestures, pantomime. 

"And when ye spread forth your hands (pray) I will hide 
mine eyes from you (will not grant your prayer.") 

Isa. 1:15. 

"As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their mas- 
ters." Ps. 123:2. 

"Shake off the dust of your feet." Matt. 10:14. 

"Hath trodden under foot the Son of God." Hebr. 10:29. 

"His enemies shall lick the dust." Ps. 72 :9. 

"Ye would have plucked out your own eyes and have given 
them to me." Gal. 4:15. 

(See also: Isa. 9:11, 16, 20; 13:2; 42:6; 49:2; Prov. 31:20; 
Deut. 15:7; Ps. 26:6; 68:32; Lam. 1:17; 2:18; Prov. 12:13; 
Ezek. 6:11; S. of Sol. 6:5; Lam. 2:16; 3:8, 16, 29, 30, 51, 
54, 63; Job 2:12; 22:29; Ps. 22:8, 16; Rev. 16:10. 

13. Cause for effect; effect for cause. 

"Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before 
the Lord against the sun." Num. 25 :4. 

"Filling our hearts with food." Acts 14:17. 

"God is our refuge and strength." Ps. 46 :2. 

"For me to live is Christ (that for which I live). Phil. 1:21. 

(See also: Isa. 26:21; 50:3; Jer. 9:21; Ps. 65:6; Ps. 97:11.) 

14. The abstract for the concrete; the concrete for the 

abstract. 

"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." 
(People that know, etc.) Isa. 11 :9. 

"Childhood and youth are vanity." Eccl. 11 :10. 

"What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" 

II. Cor. 6:14. 

"Behold the fowls of the air, etc." (The providence of God.) 

Matt. 6:26-30. 

(See also: Job 32:7; Isa. 13-21; Ezek. 27; Rev. 18:22, 23.) 



252 BIBLE MANUAL. 

15. Symbolical metonymies: Horn for power; scepter 
for government; crown for kingdom; garland for 
victory; palm for triumph; yoke for servitude; 
bonds (chains, fetters) for captivity; also the 
colors : white for purity; green for vitality; black 
for misfortune ; also the numerals : four for world; 
seven for holiness; ten for perfection. 

"The /torn of Moab is cut off." Jer. 48:25; I. Sam. 2:1. 

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah." Gen. 49 :10. 

"I have broken the bands of your yoke." Lev. 26:13. 

"Thou hast profaned his crown, casting it to the ground." 

Ps. 89:39 

"All her great men were bound in chains." Nah. 3:10. 

"A great multitude . . . palms in their hands." Rev. 7:9. 

"White as snow" Isa. 1 :18. 

"The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree." Jer. 11 :16. 

"And lo, a black horse (famine)." Rev. 6:5, 12. 

"I have spread you abroad as the four winds." Zech. 2 :6. 

The seventh day hallowed. Exod. 20:10, 11. 

Ten commandments, ten pieces, etc. 

(See also: Zech. 1:18-20; Esth. 4:11; 5:2; 8:4; Ps. 45:7; 
21:4; 132:18; Rev. 2:10; I. Cor. 9:25; I. Pet. 5:4; I. 
Kings 12:4; Hos. 11:4; Matt. 11:29; Eph. 6:20; Rev. 3:4; 
Job. 33:25; Prov. 14:11; Isa. 66:14; Ezek. 1 and Rev. 4 
and 5; Isa. 11:12; Rev. 20:8; Gen. 21:28; Zech. 3:9; 4:10; 
Rev. 1:4; 12:16; Luke 25:28. 

Note concerning metonymies. A careful study of this 
figure of speech is necessary if we desire to understand the 
Scriptures. The ten commandments, for example, are all 
metonymies. Concerning these Wolleb says : "Since the com- 
•mandments are very brief, they are synecdoches; from what 
is commanded, we must conclude what is forbidden ; from what 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 253 

is forbidden we must conclude what is commanded, etc." Note 
how Jesus interprets the commandments in his sermon on the 
mount. 

EXERCISE. 

Explain the metonymies in the following texts: 
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." Gen. 3:19. 
"Thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven." Deut. 7 :24. 
"And I took your sin, the calf, etc." Deut. 9 :21. 
"Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread, etc." 

Deut. 11 :24. 
"Thou shalt not eat any abomination." Deut. 14:3. 
"In judgment between blood and blood" Deut. 17:8. 
"His body shall not remain . . . upon the tree." Deut. 21 :23. 
"The house of him that hath his shoe loosed" Deut. 25:10. 
"He is thy life and the length of thy days." Deut. 30 :20. 
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth." Josh. 1 :8. 
"Neither left they any to breathe." Josh. 11 :14. 
"And the land had rest forty years." Judg. 3 :11. 
"Speak, "ye that ride on white asses, etc" Judg. 5:9, 10. 
"Are the hands of Zebah, etc." Judg. 8:15. 

"Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh" Judg. 9:2. 
"Where is now thy mouth f" Judg. 9:38. 

"And smote all the city with the edge of the sword." Judg. 20:37. 
"Did I give unto the house of thy father . . .?" I. Sam. 2:28. 
"The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness." 

I. Sam. 12:5. 
"Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines." I. Sam. 13 :4. 
"Every man's sword was against his fellow." I. Sam. 14:20. 
"Fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod." 

I. Sam. 22:18. 

"And all the country wept with a loud voice." II. Sam. 15 :23. 

See also the following texts in the book of Job: 6:30; 7 :7, 11, 15, 
20; 12:12, 20; 13:6; 15:15; 16:4, 5, 9, 10. 



254 BIBLE MANUAL. 

Lesson 16. 
FIGURES OF IMAGERY— Concluded. 

Personification, Epithet, Apostrophe, Euphemism, 
Allegory, Vision. 

7. Personification. 

a. "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself and opened her mouth 
"without measure." Isa. 5:14. 

"The earth which hath opened her mouth." Gen. 4:11. 

"Death is swallowed up in victory." I. Cor. 15 :55. 

b "All the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Isa. 55:12. 

"How doth the city sit solitary . . . how is she become a 
widow!" Lam. 1:1. 

"Wisdom hath builded her house, etc." Prov. 9:1-12. 

"A foolish woman (folly) is clamorous, etc." Prov. 9:13-18. 

8. Epithet — Figurative adjective. 

"The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter" Ps. 45 :6. 
"The silver cord . . . the golden bowl" Eccl. 12 :6. 
"Babylon, a golden cup in the Lord's hand." Jer. 51 :7. 
"Her princes . . . are roaring lions." Zeph. 3 :3. 

9. Apostrophe. In this figure absent persons are addressed 

as though they were present, or inanimate objects as 
though they had reason and understanding. It is very 
often combined with personification. 

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?" 

Ps. 52:1. 
"Open thy doors, O Lebanon . . . howl, fir tree ; . . . 
howl, O ye oaks of Bashan !" Zech. 11:1, 2. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 255 

"What ailed thee, O thou sea . .. . thou Jordan . . . 
ye mountains ... ye little hills . . .? Ps, 114, 5, 6, 

"Tremble, thou earth!" Ps. 114:7. 

"Give ear, O ye heavens !" Deut. 32 :1. 

"Howl, ye ships of Tarshish !" Isa. 23:1. 

"O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the 
high mountain." Isa. 40:9. 

"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." 

Jer. 22 :29. 

10. Euphemism. This figure softens a harsh or indelicate 

expression or even conceals the true matter by giving 
a mild name to something disagreeable. 

"Saul went in to cover his feet." I. Sam. 24:3. 

"And Adam knew Eve his wife." Gen. 4:1. 

"And Jehu slept with his fathers." II. Kings 10:35. 

"Them also which sleep in Jesus, etc." I. Thess. 4:14, 15. 

11. Allegory: Fables, parables, symbolical actions. 

In Galatians 4:24, the Apostle Paul, speaking of 
the stories of Ismael and Isaac, Agar and Sarah, 
says: "Which things are an allegory." In the Ger- 
man Bible this sentence is translated : "These words 
signify something." In the Old Testament we find 
a number of allegories or parables ; the epistles of 
the apostles do not contain any, but in the gospels, 
in the discourses of Jesus we find many of mar- 
velous beauty. Symbolical actions are ascribed to the 
prophets ; these may properly be looked upon as 
allegories because "they signify something." 

a. Fables. "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar 
that was in Lebanon, saying : Give thy daughter to my son 
to wife." II. Kings .14 :9. 
Jotham's fable. Judg. 9:8-15. 



256 BIBLE MANUAL. 

b. Parables. Of the many we mention here : 
Nathan's parable. II. Sam. 12:1-7. 

The vineyard. Ps. 80:8-16; Isa. 5:1-7; Mark 12:1-9. 

The eagle and the cedar. Ezek. 17. 

The kingdom of heaven. Matt. 13. 

The good Samaritan. Luke 10 :30-37. 

The prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32. 

On prayer. Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-13. 

c. Symbolical Actions. 

The girdle: Jer. 13; The yoke: Jer. 27 and 28. 
Presentation of the Rechabites : Jer. 35. 
The type of the siege of Jerusalem: Ezek. 4. 
The boiling pot: Ezek. 24:1-14. 
The crowns of silver and gold : Zech. 6 :9-15. 

d. Riddles. Judg. 14: 13 and 14; Ezek. 17:5. 

12. Vision. Many visions are recorded in the Bible. Re- 
specting these we must carefully distinguish between 
the prophetical visions, that is, the divine instructions 
revealed by God in a symbolical manner, and the 
rhetorical vision, that is, something which is imagined, 
a mental picture of what it taking place or will 
come to pass. 

a. Rhetorical : In Judg. 5 :28-30, Deborah speaks of what the 

mother of Sisera said and did, picturing it vividly to our 
imagination. This is a rhetorical vision. 

In I. Sam. 8:10-19 we have another example of rhetorical 
vision. Here Samuel draws a mental picture of what 
the king will do. 

b. Prophetical: These are properly included here because they 

are symbolical and must be interpreted. Of the many 
prophetical visions we mention only a few : 

Isa. 6. Vision of the Lord's glory. 

Jer. 24. Vision of the good and bad figs. 



SUPPLEMENTARY LESSONS. 257 

Ezek. 37. Vision of the dry bones. 
Dan. 2. Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 
Amos 7. Grashoppers and plumbline. 
Zech. 1-6. Visions of Zechariah. 

The last book of the Bible, Revelations, contains many 
visions and symbols by means of which the eternal Son of God 
revealed to His apostle, first Himself in His divine glory and 
majesty, and then the development and final consummation of 
His kingdom. 

EXERCISES. 

What figures of speech are contained in the following passages? 

"The sea saw it and fled; Jordan was driven back. The moun- 
tains skipped like rams and the little hills like lambs." Ps. 114:3, 4. 

"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan that 
thou wast driven back?" Ps. 114:5, 6. 

"She that was great among the nations, and princess among the 
provinces, how is she become tributary!" Lam. 1:1. 

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed 
with the sun, and the moon under her feet." Rev. 12:1-6. 

"The words of his mouth were smoother than butter." Ps. 55:21. 

"I will be unto her a wall of fire." Zech. 2:5. 

"Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy 
glory and sit in thirst." Jer. 48:18. 

"Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt!" Isa. 29:1. 



SUMMARY. 



SUMMARY. 



Biblical Figures of Speech. 



Figures of Emphasis. 

Parallelism (4) 

Repetition (7) 

Ellipsis 

Pleonasm 

Antithesis 

Rhetorical Question 

Exclamation 

Definite or Round Numbers 

Asj'ndeton 

Polysyndeton 

Irony 

Rhetorical Command 

The Smallest or Largest Possible Allegory 

Emphatic Position (3) 

Negation 

Affirmation or Oath 

Summation 

Quotation 

Demonstration 

The Uttermost Vision 



Figures of Imagery. 

Simile 

Comparison (2) 
Metaphor 

Metaphorical Verb 
Metonymy (15) 
Personification 
Epithet 
Apostrophe 
Euphemism 



Fable 
Parables 

Symbolical Actions 
Riddle 



INDEX. 259 



INDEX. 

PAGE 
Preface 3 

Introduction 5 

Illustrations and maps 7 

Introductory Lesson 9 

Part One. Summary of the Books of the Bible • 11 

A. Contents of the Books of the Old Testament 11 

The Pentateuch (Lessons 1-2.) 11 

Historical Books of the Old Testament. (Lessons 3-5.) ... 19 

Poetical Books of the Old Testament. (Lesson 6.) 31 

Prophetical Books of the Old Testament. (Less. 7-9.) 36 

Part Two. Summary of the Books of the Bible 52 

B. Contents of the Books of the New Testament 52 

Introduction. (Lesson 10.) 52 

Gospels and Acts. (Lesson 11.) 55 

The Epistles. (Lessons 12-16.) 63 

Revelations. (Lesson 17.) 86 

Part Three. The Sacred History 89 

A. Old Testament History 89 

Introduction. (Lesson 18.) 89 

Creation and Fall of Man. (Lesson 19.) 92 

Preparation of Man's Salvation 94 

I. Period : (Lesson 20.) 97 

II. Period : (Lessons 21-22.) 99 

• III. Period : (Lessons 23-24.) 107 

IV. Period : (Lesson 25.) 117 

Messianic Prophecies. (Lesson 26.) 120 

Part Four. The Sacred History 123 

B. New Testament History .123 

I. Realization of Man's Salvation 123 

1. Salvation obtained and presented in the Person of Jesus 

Christ. Lesson 27.) 123 

The Life of Christ . . . : 126 

Preparation. (Lesson 28.) 126 



260 INDEX. 

PAGE 

Public Ministry. (Lessons 29-30.) 129 

Passion and Resurrection. (Lesson 31.) 135 

Outline of the Life of Christ. (Lesson 31.) 139 

2. Preaching of Salvation by the Apostles.... 141 

Founding of the Church. (Lesson 32.) 141 

Extention of the Church. (Lesson 33.) 144 

3. Acceptance of Salvation in the Church (Less. 34.) 154 

4. Consummation of Salvation. (Lesson 34.) 156 

Part Five. How to Study the Bible 157 

Bible Study a Necessity. (Lesson 35.) 157 

Suggestions for the Study of the Bible. (Less. 36.) 159 

Study of the Bible by Books. (Less. 37-39.) 162 

Aids for the Study of the Bible. (Less. 40.) 178 

Part Six. Supplementary Lessons 180 

I. Concerning the Bible in general 180 

Names and Divisions. (Lessons 1-2.) 180 

Origin and Language. (Lesson 3.) 185 

Manuscripts and Translations. (Lesson 4.) 189 

German and English Versions. (Lesson 5.) 196 

II. Biblical Geography and Institutions 204 

Countries of the Bible. (Lessons 6-7.) 204 

Biblical Institutions. (Lessons 8-9.) 213 

III. Biblical Figures of Speech 226 

Introduction. (Lesson 10.) 226 

I. Figures of Emphasis 229 

Parallelism, Repetition, Ellipsis 229 

Pleonasm, Antithesis. (Lesson 11.) .229 

Rhetorical Question, Exclamation, Definite or Round Num- 
bers, Asyndeton, Polysyndeton, Irony, Rhetorical 
Command, the Smallest Possible or the Largest Pos- 
sible. (Lesson 12.) 234 

Emphatic Position, Negation, Assertion, Summation, 
Quotation, Declamation, The Uttermost. (Less. 13.) . .239 

II. Figures of Imagery (Tropes). Simile, Comparison, 

Metaphor. (Lesson 14.) 244 

Metonymy. (Lesson 15.) 248 

Personification, Epithet, Apostrophe, Euphemism, Alle- 
gory, Vision. (Lesson 16.) 254 

Summarv 258 



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